When I'm In Your Arms
by Tsukiyomiikutono1
Summary: AMUTO: I'm bad at summaries Amu's missing Ikuto: A party: An Incident that leaves Amu dead to the world: What will happen? Rated T in case
1. The I miss You song

Shugo Chara Fanfic:

Chapter 1: The 'I miss you' song

Tsukiyomiikutono1: Hi!

Ikuto: You know, you might want to let them all in on your name.

Tsukiyomiikutono1: Right, Aireen (pronounced how it's spelled a i ree n)

Ikuto: Another fanfic about me and Amu, I wonder when the anime and manga will catch on?

Amu: What?

Aireen: To make the two of you, you know…

Amu: No, I don't know, tell me.

Ikuto: Amu, you're so dense, you're cute.

Aireen: I'm betting on an Amuto ending for Shugo Chara

Ikuto: Yeah me too,

Amu: Yeah- wait what? No! I'm definitely going to end up with Tadase.

Ikuto: Not even in your dreams.

Aireen: He's right, if it's not an Amuto ending, I'm gonna… COMPLAIN TO THE WRITERS!

Ikuto: Don't worry, I'm sure they know everyone out there wants an Amuto ending (who's not a Tadamu or AmuXKukai or AmuXKairi fan (don't even know if there are any; JOKES))

Amu: But currently in Shugo Chara Doki, Doki, there is no Ikuto.

Aireen: And that's exactly why I'm not watching all the episodes. Only the one where Amu and Utau show each other Ikuto's photos that Yoru took. I think I watched that scene about I don't know 10000000000000000000000+ times.

Ikuto: I'll be back, don't worry (I hope!)

Aireen: I want Ikuto back, all the Ikuto fans can protest:

IKUTO COMES BACK IN SHUGO CHARA!

IKUTO COMES BACK IN SHUGO CHARA!

Amu: You think it will work?

Ikuto: Peach Pit listens to fans right? So I could come back to Amu.

Aireen: Right Amu don't be negative

Ikuto: I will hold to my promise, Amu, you don't have to worry.

Aireen: Right, so on with the story!

Ikuto: Aireen does not own Shugo Chara or its characters.

Amu: Yeah, read and review!

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Chapter 1 Amu's POV

I stared at the picture of Ikuto that Yoru had sent me. Utau got one too. I thought about Ikuto's promise, _"I'll definitely make you fall in love with me," he said. "I'll make you a bet then, to see if you can find yourself first or if I can find my father and make you fall in love with me." _Now that I actually thought about it, ever since Ikuto left there was a feeling.

An empty, dark feeling, a feeling like… not feeling like anything. Maybe it was just me trying to adapt into a place without Ikuto.

When I go out and say Ikuto's name, _he_'s not going to fall out of the tree above me and scare the living hell out of me.

When I'm out on my balcony, _he_'s not going to jump up and give me some lollies as… compensation as _he_ calls it.

When I'm undecided, _he_'s not going to invite me out to the amusement park.

When I want _him_ to go on rides with me, _he_'s not going give me that non caring look and feel out of place in a ride.

When I'm at the amusement park, _he_'s not going to insist on taking the same horse on the merry-go-round.

When I accidentally confess my troubles, _he_'s not going to listen very carefully and think and then say something very thoughtful.

When I slip and fall because I'm clumsy, _he_'s not going to be there to catch me.

When I'm fighting against X eggs, _he_'s not going to be there to protect me.

When I think of _him_, _he_ will not come out of no where.

When I'm out with Tadase, _he_'s not going to come and interrupt our date and make me and Tadase both really angry.

When I'm feeling a little down, _he_'s not going to come and tease me. _He_'s not going to make me get pissed anymore because…

…because _he_'s not here anymore. And as I thought about this, tears started forming in the corners of my eyes.

I closed them and let all the tears out, I couldn't hold them in.

(Someone you know)'s POV

I stared up at the European sky. I was in the city. Too many fluorescent lights made the stars hardly visible.

I sighed, even through all the beauty I was seeing here, I still wanted something more.

_Oh, I don't know how much longer I can last without you. I just want to quench my thirst for you. My heart won't stop irritating the hell out of me until I see you. _

"_Without you, like this, how can I survive?_

_How can I survive, without you?_

_Without you like this, how can I survive?_

_How can I survive without you?_

_Taking the memories of you, I pass the nights,_

_Taking the memories of you, I pass the nights,_

_The conversations I had with you light everything like moonlight,_

_Troubled are my nights, without you,_

_My days are not like days at all,_

_Restless is my body,_

_Restless is my soul,_

_My eyes remain wet (with tears),_

_Now come to me, soul to soul,_

_There's no living without you,_

_Without you, like this, how can I live?_

_How can I live, without you?_

_Without you, like this, how can I live?_

_How can I live, without?_

_My life can't be without you!"_

_Oh, my strawberry, my little pinkette, I miss you so much._

I walked on to my temporary destination. But the real one was elsewhere.

Amu's POV

I was awoken by the sounds of Ami and my dad playing pop star downstairs. I wasn't sure if I felt like facing their stupidity ( I know it's harsh, but it's true!) today. I didn't want to put on my 'cool and spicy' character.

I remembered that the only person I wouldn't have to be like that with was Ikuto. It was hard, immensely painful and difficult to take_ his_ name. It reminded me too much of _him_.

I felt another outburst of tears on the way, when Ran, Miki and Suu came running (well, floating) to me.

"Amu-chan! Amu-chan!" They called simultaneously.

I pulled myself together, "What?!" I snapped.

"Yoru sent another photo of Ikuto!" Miki shouted, excitedly.

I practically jumped from the bed and grabbed my phone. I snapped it open as fast as I could and opened the new message.

It said: Nya! We found Ikuto's dad!

And it had a picture of Ikuto hugging a man who was a little taller and greatly resembled Ikuto.

Just then I got a call. There wasn't a caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Amu?"

"Yeah,"

"It's me, Utau,"

"Oh, Utau,"

"Can you believe it?!" she shouted excitedly.

"What?" I asked

"Hello! I know you got the text from Yoru. Ikuto found dad!" Utau went on.

"Oh, that, congratulations Utau." I said.

"What's this, Amu? You sound sad. Don't you get it?" Utau asked as if what she was talking about should have been obvious.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Amu, I know that you've been pretty torn up and weird since Ikuto left. But this means that Ikuto will be coming back here!"

I think my heart almost broke out of my chest. _"But this means that Ikuto will be coming back here!" _He_'s coming back! My Ikuto's coming back! Ikuto! Ikuto! Ikuto! Ikuto! Ikuto!_

My heart screamed_ his_ name over and over again threatening to jump out of my chest. I flashbacked through all of the times I had with _him_. It made my heart go wild. I wanted _him_ right now. I would hug _him_ and kiss _him_ and tell _him_ how much I love _him_! _Oh my God! Did I just think that? I couldn't be in love with Ikuto, could I?_

"Amu? Amu? Are you there?" Utau screeched

"What?"

"Amu, I've been calling your name for the last minute. I know you're as ecstatic as me that Ikuto's coming back," _Probably more than you, Utau. _"but we have to totally plan a welcome back party."

It was hard for me to concentrate on what she was saying because I was still daydreaming about Ikuto.

Utau's POV

_She's crazy about him. She's completely fallen for his cursed charm. That devilish, cursed charm. No girl can resist him if he's made moves on them. Ikuto loves Amu and he shows it, it's just she's so damn dense that she doesn't even notice. _

"Bye Amu," I said and cut the phone. I bet she wasn't even listening to me.

"Hey, you done, can we go now?"

"Yeah, but about the party I was planning…"

"Party?"

"Oh shut up! I know you heard it all! Anyway, I'm thinking of breaking Amu's heart."

"Why?!"

"Oh don't worry. We'll just _tell_ her that Ikuto can't come back just yet. She'll be heartbroken. We'll drag her along to our welcome back party for Ikuto, except she won't know it. She'll just think it's to cheer her up but she'll be the guest of honour. We'll push her out just in time for her to see Ikuto as he walks in to the hall."

"That really is a good plan."

"And then I bet she'll do something really klutzy, like slip and fall. She'll definitely fall. And Ikuto will be the one to save her. And in front of everyone I can bet she'll hug him. She'll be too tired of fighting her attraction to him. She just will. In front of everyone."

"So who's 'everyone'?"

"Well, there's us, them, maybe the guardians? Maybe not. Tsukasa-san, maybe Sanjo-san and Nikaidou-san too. Or maybe not. I don't want it to be too crowded. Amu won't be able to show her real feeling then."

"There are two halls at your family's function centre, right?"

"Right! So this happens only with us and them in the hall. Everyone else will have to be in the other hall. And they can go there after they've had time to catch up. You're brilliant!"

"You're brilliant and beautiful."

"Oh really?"

"Really," He said innocently.

I smiled. One love story was working it's way to the scene. And another was already there.

He took my hand and kissed it.

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Aireen: End of my first chapter!

Ikuto: I'm not here*smirks*

Amu: What?

Aireen: You aren't?

Amu: Will you tell me what you're talking about?

Ikuto: No

Amu: I hate you

Ikuto: No you don't, you love me,

Amu: You wish

Ikuto: Yes I do wish, but…

Amu: But what?

Ikuto: *smirks* But you still love me

Amu: NO! I don't love you!

Aireen: While these two are arguing we can get on with things. I'll upload my next chapter ASAP. Promise and there will be more drama in the next one. As well as some side story romance.

Ikuto: Do you mean with Utau?

Amu: What is with Utau?

Aireen: read it

Amu *reads* who is this guy?

Ikuto: Amu, isn't it obvious?

Amu: No

Ikuto: Well I'll whisper it in your ear *whispers*

Amu: NO WAY! I would have never have guessed!

Aireen: She's just saying that. If you're smart and not dense like Amu –

Amu: HEY!

Aireen: *snickers* you'll get it

Ikuto: It's really not that hard to guess is it?

Aireen: Anyway enough! I do not own Shugo Chara or any of its characters!


	2. Dance of the ashes

**Aireen: Back again with the second chapter that is called…**

**Ikuto: Dance of the ashes.**

**Aireen: It's a little bit cheesy, don't you think?**

**Ikuto: Cheesy?! You came up with it.**

**Amu: What?**

**Ikuto: Oh hello Amu, we were just speaking about whether or not the title of this chapter sounds cheesy or not.**

**Amu: What is it?**

**Aireen: Weren't you listening?**

**Amu: No**

**Aireen: *cries* It was my big entry and you didn't listen!**

**Amu: Oh no! I'm sorry Aireen its just that –**

**Ikuto: Amu!**

**Amu: What?**

**Ikuto: It's just an act, she's just being a drama queen.**

**Amu: Oh**

**Aireen: Thanks for that Ikuto or I would've had to put on that show for the rest of the chapter for dense Amu!**

**Amu: I don't get it**

**Ikuto: You wouldn't darling, don't worry**

**Aireen: Amu's clueless but she's not dumb!**

**Ikuto: You should hear yourself. *snickers***

**Aireen: yeah I know**

**Amu: I still really don't get it**

**Aireen: Okay I take it back**

**Ikuto: You should**

**Amu: Will someone tell me what the hell is going on in this place?!**

**Ikuto: No sweetie.**

**Aireen: I don't own Shugo Chara or any of it's characters.**

**Ikuto: It's okay Amu you have me to do your thinking for you.**

**Amu: Whatever… but review!**

**Aireen: AND THANX TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!**

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**Amu's POV**

My heart was flying. Ikuto was coming back home. To me. Utau got it too.

It had been a few days since she called me and I was head over heels. My hopes were at an all time high.

I reminisced about the time Ikuto played_ his_ violin and I was singing to it. The music of my memory was as clear as it had been on that day.

I thought more about our moments and remembered that _he_'d left something with me!

I rushed to my cupboard and pulled out the drawers.

"C'mon, where are you?!" I yelled as I frantically threw out all my clothes to find it.

And there it was. Ikuto's jacket. A navy, big jacket.

_He_'d left it here one time. It was too big for me and I had forgotten to return it to _him_.

I hugged the jacket and let the music from that day flood my mind.

And I started to dance. A two person dance. Ikuto's jacket and me. I danced around the room with the jacket. Ikuto's jacket.

I danced and danced and danced and danced. Ran, Miki and Suu joined in, floating in the air. Dia just watched from her egg.

Even when the song had ended I replayed it in my mind.

It gave me peace. Gave me a piece of Ikuto. Gave me that spark feeling that I'd had being around Ikuto. Not quite it but still it was close.

And since Ikuto was coming back soon I would feel it again. That wonderful feeling of… life. The feeling that life was a wonderful thing and nothing could go wrong.

Though it wasn't entirely true, in_ his_ presence it was. In_ his_ presence I felt life at it's most wonderful moments. I felt the magic of_ his_ presence light me up. Felt it bring me to life. Bring me to peace. I needed to feel it again.

_He_ was coming back soon so I definitely would. I would laugh and sing and dance in_ his_ arms. With _him_ there. _He_ would be my retreat.

Just like _he_ always was. The big, strong Ikuto that was going to make me fall in love with _him_.

I danced and danced and danced not letting anything, even my parents screeching for Ami; get me out of the mood.

Eventually though, I got tired and had to stop. I lay on my bed glowing with thoughts of _him_.

The phone rang and I didn't feel like answering it because I had this feeling that it would ruin the mood, but…

"Hello?"

"Oh, Amu, it's me Utau."

"Hi, Utau,"

"Yeah um, you know about Ikuto?"

"What?" _Please don't be anything bad. Oh please Kami-sama. _

"He's uh, actually not coming back for a while." _No! No! Damn it! _

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, sorry Amu I know you were looking forward to it. Sorry."

"Oh it's – um, well," I felt like crying. Tears almost overflowed.

"Hey, tell you what, Amu? We'll have a party. To cheer you up. At my family's function hall. Tomorrow night. Okay?"

Utau was trying so hard to cheer me up but… "Okay I'll come."

"Great! What you do is come over to my place a few hours before the party so I can dress you up, okay?"

"Okay, Utau," I was heartbroken. It was too much to take in. But for my friends I would have to go to this party.

A few hours later

Utau's POV

" I kind of feel bad that I'm doing this to Amu, I mean she sounded so heartbroken, you know?"

"Utau, you're doing this for her. Of course she'll appreciate it when she finds out."

"Yeah I guess but still she has to tolerate it until tomorrow night. It should have been tonight!"

"He's not coming back until tomorrow anyway, right?"

"Right, but you know I could've called him in a day early for her. That stupid rich woman hired both the halls out tonight for her stupid kitty party. I mean this is seriously more important!"

"It is, don't worry. I can assure you that she won't go feral in the next 24 hours."

"You know her better than me right?"

"Right."

"Then make sure of it."

"What do you mean?"

"You should go and cheer her up."

"But you."

"Me?"

"I want to be here with you. Besides she won't pay any attention to me. Send Tadase."

"Tadase? Ew! No way! He'll ruin the cute Ikuto mood that she's in."

"She's in a cute Ikuto mood?"

"Mood? NO! I mean mode!"

"Right."

"You know she's all bubbly when she thinks of him and all heartbroken to know he's not coming back for a while! I didn't even hint how long."

"But I guess you didn't lie, after all 24 hours is a while, right?"

"Right."

I awaited tomorrow with a tinge of guilt and slight envy. I had originally wanted Ikuto the way Amu wants him now but now I had another…

"You're thinking about something?"

"Yeah, don't worry, let's go."

"Right."

"Listen." And he heard it.

Amu's POV

My heart faltered. I didn't know if I could keep on a smile for others when what I wanted to do was cry.

"Amu-chii, you can cry if you have to," Dia told me, "Express your feelings, its okay,"

That was it. I threw myself onto my bed and cried myself to sleep.

"_Ikuto! You're back." _

"_I'm back, Amu, can I have this dance?"_

"_Dance?"_

"_Yes, will you dance with me Amu?"_

"_Yes, of course!"_

_We danced and danced and danced to his violin music that _he_ wasn't playing. _He_ was dancing and dancing and dancing with me. We danced across the ballroom in our castle. _

"_You're a wonderful dancer, Amu." Ikuto whispered into my ear._

"_Ikuto, you're not shabby either." I told him_

"_Way to ruin the mood with you're silly comments. You should've said something romantic. Amu," Ikuto said. _

"_What?" I said softly. _

"_I lo-," Ikuto was cut off by a spark of lightning._

_Suddenly fire spread all around the ballroom. And I was suddenly by myself in a closed room. _

"_Amu! Where are you?!" Ikuto's voice yelled. _

"_Ikuto," I yelled back and coughed. The smoke was getting to me. _

"_AMU!" Ikuto yelled louder. _

He_ yelled again and again. First in worry, then in… pain. _

"_Ikuto!" I burst out of the room. The fire had died down everywhere except for one place. _

_Ikuto was standing there, in the centre of the ballroom. Yelling in pain as the fire burnt through him. _

_And I could only watch as the flames burnt his flesh and left his body in ashes._

"_IKUTO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I screeched._

"NO!" I screeched. I jolt up awake in my bed.

Ran, Miki, Suu and Dia rushed to my side.

"Amu, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing. I just had a nightmare." I said, panting, out of breath.

I clutched my pillow and lay down again, but I didn't dare to go to sleep.

No in a sleep where Ikuto dies. I didn't want it.

It wasn't long before the sun was up. Only a few minutes. I decided to get up early.

No one else was in my house at that time. My family had decided to take Ami with them for a tour around Japan. They wouldn't be back for ages and I was all alone in a big house. I didn't know what to do.

It was a Saturday so I went and sat in front of the television.

I kept switching channels even after I had finished looking through all of them. I left it on a channel showing an anime: Fruits Basket.

I got up and went to make breakfast for myself. I looked in the refrigerator. There wasn't anything different to eat apart from the usual morning breakfast that my mum usually makes.

I didn't see any other options. I ate and washed up and then cleaned up the whole house, concentrating very hard on each task.

But not soon enough the house could not be cleaned anymore.

I went upstairs and did my homework. I didn't utter a word to my Charas. And they knew better than to speak with me in this mood.

I concentrated so hard. As hard as I could. Harder than I ever have. I had to keep my mind from 'it' as long as possible.

After I had finished all of my homework and more I decided to empty out my cupboard and re-sort it again.

When I was clearing my closet I found Ikuto's jacket. I just stared at it.

I was about to have another breakdown. I quickly put it in the top of my highest shelf. I would have to see it that way.

All those tasks took my entire day. I hadn't spoken.

I got a call.

"Amu?" Utau's voice asked from the other end of the phone line.

"Yes?" Even I was surprised at how hoarse and emotionless my voice sounded.

"Amu, I'm coming to pick you up, okay? We're just approaching. Don't worry, just take your cell, we've already got clothes for you." Utau said.

I cleared my throat, "Yes, okay."

I cut the phone. In a few minutes I heard the sound of a car pull in to the driveway. I grabbed my cell and quickly changed into clothes other than my pyjamas.

The doorbell rang. I slouched down the stairs and opened the door. I put on a big, fake smile.

"Hi, Utau." I said as enthusiastically as I could at this point.

"Hi Amu, ready to go?" Utau asked

"Yep." I said.

I got in the limo with her.

"Wow, is it yours?" I asked.

"Totally, you didn't know that our family is rich?" Utau asked.

"No," I said.

Utau's POV

"No," Amu said.

I knew that my next sentence was going to hurt her but for the sake of her love story, I had to.

"Didn't Ikuto ever tell you?" I asked in a playful tone.

Amu looked ready to break. I suddenly regretted saying what I said.

"No," Amu's voice became emotionless and hoarse.

She was trying so hard.

"I know that you like him, don't worry, he'll be back soon."

I tried to assure her.

"Really?" She asked me. Her insecurity was showing greatly.

"Yes, really." I assured her. Little did she know, he was coming soon. Very soon.

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**Aireen: the end of another chapter is at hand.**

**Ikuto: now that was cheesy**

**Aireen: you think so?**

**Ikuto: Definitely.**

**Amu: What?**

**Ikuto: *laughs* weren't you paying attention again, Amu.**

**Aireen: The way you say her name, oh! *shudders***

**Amu: Yeah *shudders***

**Aireen: It rolls off your tongue as if it was made for you.**

**Amu: Yeah… wait, what?!**

**Ikuto: I know and it was made for me.**

**Amu: What?**

**Aireen: You're name was made for Ikuto.**

**Ikuto: It totally was.**

**Amu: No, it was made for Tadase.**

**Aireen: If it was, I wouldn't watch Shugo Chara.**

**Ikuto: Hmm**

**Amu: What?**

**Aireen: You know Ikuto, I've been thinking.**

**Ikuto: Really? Now there's a turn of events. I wonder if Amu will know that she loves me now.**

**Amu: I do not!**

**Aireen: Shut up, anyway I was thinking of putting a little Amuto dream sequence in.**

**Ikuto: you definitely should. Make it romantic.**

**Amu: No, make it with Tadase.**

**Aireen: EEWW!!! NO WAY! And I still haven't confirmed I am. I'm just thinking about it.**

**Ikuto: Readers, I'm depending on your reviews for this. I beg of you to do this.**

**Amu: I am too, just tell Aireen to make it with Ik- I mean Tadase.**

**Ikuto: What is it, do you think, Aireen?**

**Aireen: Oh, could this be love?**

**Ikuto: *sings* is this love?**

**Aireen: that's B, G' flat, G' flat, G', and the rhythm is ta, ta, titi, for anyone who wants to know.**


	3. Pre party jitters

**Aireen: The third chapter is here.**

**Ikuto: And it is called…**

**Amu: What?**

**Aireen: Amu! You wrecked it.**

**Ikuto: Anyway it's called *reads* Pre-party jitters.**

**Amu: Does that mean we won't get to the party in this chapter?**

**Aireen: No, no, we get to the party but…**

**Ikuto: What?**

**Aireen: Just read, No spoilers you guys.**

**Amu: But…**

**Ikuto: What?**

**Amu: Okay then! *reads***

**Ikuto: *reads***

**Aireen: Well, you guys like it or not?**

**Amu: Haven't I read this somewhere before?**

**Ikuto: You're reading the wrong chapter.**

**Amu: Oh, okay then; REVIEW please!**

**Aireen: Well then, while those guys read I disclaim all of Shugo Chara**

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**Utau's POV**

I felt bad for hurting Amu but it was for her own good. She needed to know that she loved him.

"I wanted to tell –," My cell rang at the most inappropriate time, I swear!

It was…

I picked up the phone and walked to the back of the limo.

"Hello?" I said half pleasantly and half menacingly.

"Oh, is this a bad time?"

"You bet it is!" I almost shouted into the receiver.

"I'm sorry, Utau."

I hated it when he used that tone. "It's not okay but. Well it is."

"Now I was going to tell you that Ikuto called at your house. He left a number,"

"Wait, you're at my house?!"

"Yes well I came to pick you up but obviously you took that limo."

"Oh okay, what is the number?"

"It's 45447471235463326 from Japan. Oh but he said that he's in an important meeting with your dad so call in about two hours."

"Oh, wonderful!"

"And I hate to be the bearer of bad news but…"

"What bad news?"

"Your decorators still are trying to decide on the theme colour."

"Damn! I'll deal with that later. Thanks,"

"My pleasure. Utau."

"It very well is. K-,"

"Who is it?" Amu asked. Obviously she hadn't noticed I'd been talking on the cell. She must've been daydreaming about Ikuto again.

"Oh, no one, just a friend."

"A friend?" Amu asked suspiciously.

"Yeah,"

"Okay. We're almost there. The driver said when you were talking." Amu said.

"Sure."

"I'm just a friend? Utau?" I heard his voice say.

"For the most part. She'll know after he comes. Okay?" I said quietly after Amu trudged back to her seat.

Amu's POV

Utau was hiding something. That was for sure. But I didn't have time to think about it now. Even if I tried. All I could think about was… _him_.

No matter what I did. Even if I blasted music from my Ipod into my ears at full blast, some memory of _him_ would seep back into my mind and flood it with sadness.

Utau came back and sat next to me.

"What's wrong, Amu?" Utau asked.

"Oh, nothing at all, Utau." I said trying to smile enthusiastically. This was extremely difficult because even smiling would be the last thing I was thinking to do now.

It was hard work trying to put on this façade for my friends. But I had to.

"I know you're bummed about Ikuto but seriously, chill. I mean I know you guys met each other sometimes but not often. I mean, you hardly know him, right?" Utau asked.

Utau didn't know the relationship that _he_ and I shared. She didn't know that _he_ came to my house all the time and annoyed the hell out of me sometimes and comforted me other times.

"You're right, Utau. There's absolutely no reason for me to be upset. Then why doesn't it go away?!" My voice broke on the last sentence. The feeling dwelling up inside me was too strong.

I cried. And cried. And cried.

Utau hugged me and tried to comfort me. But even she couldn't make it go away. No one in my life had a presence as amazing as _he_ did. No one could replace _him_. Never. Ever. _He_ was always there before. Now…

…'s POV

"Masters please hurry! Leave your belongings! We need to get out!" Karin screeched.

I wasn't paying any attention to her. I had to get it. It was my one memory. My one momentum. My most treasured possession.

I couldn't let it burn. I ran up the stairs. The hundreds of steps weren't the slightest challenge for the object.

The flames were burning up the walls and some of the steps were missing. Still I kept going.

I coughed. The smoke was getting to me. I was finding it hard to breathe. One of the down sides of being tall.

Still I wouldn't waver. My current destination was close. I ran down the corridor and kicked down the door of my room.

I could hear everyone screaming and shouting for me to get out. I wouldn't. Not yet.

I went to my jacket and checked the pockets for the object. It was there. I took the jacket to the bathroom which had been filled with water.

I had accidentally left the tap running. I wet myself and the jacket with the water just for safety issues. The object was waterproof. Water couldn't hurt it.

I waited two seconds before walking out of the bathroom with a bucket full of water.

I stepped out into the corridor which was going to cave in any second. I jumped the section. And threw water in my path.

Too soon though, I was out of water. One bucket could only carry so much. I tied a scarf around my mouth and nose and carried on. Carefully, cautiously.

I reached the stairs when…

"WATCH OUT!!!" he screeched.

I looked up to see a bit of the floor above crippling and burnt. It was falling. In front of me there were stairs which would give away as soon as I stepped on them. Behind me there were flames burning up my path. Above me there was something falling on me. And the floor would give away any second.

Amu's POV

I jolted awake. I had the strangest feeling that something bad was happening to _him_. I didn't know what. But I could feel it.

It reminded me of that dream. The dancing and the burning. I thought I was about to cry again.

But I calmed myself down and looked around to see where I was.

I'd fallen asleep with all the crying and it seemed that someone had carried me up to Utau's room.

"Hey, awake sleepyhead?" Utau shouted from downstairs.

"Yeah, I'm up!" I yelled back in answer.

"Good, 'cause I'm gonna dress you up now." Utau said as she appeared in the doorway.

"For?" I asked, seeming to have forgotten the obvious.

"The party of course!" Utau said frustrated.

"Oh, right, sorry!" I said.

"No worries!" Utau said back.

She took me to her bathroom.

"Take a bath, okay and then we'll get started."

I took a bath like she said, longer than usual, to try and prolong my time without make up.

Even in the warm, relaxing water of the bath, I couldn't get rid of that guilty feeling that something horrible was happening to _him_.

Utau was ready as soon as I came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe. She blow dried my hair and curled it to make ringlets.

In my opinion, I looked like a freak! But I wasn't going to be rude.

Utau brought me a beautiful dress. It was the bright pink colour of my hair, with… what seemed like real blue sapphires embedded on it in a beautiful pattern.

The dress was strapless. Although it did have sleeves, though the sleeves weren't connected to the dress. The sleeves were made of very thin material with a circle of elastic at the top of them to hold them in place.

The body of the dress was just… wow! Okay I take that back. It hardly had a body. The back was completely bare down til the pelvis line. The dress line came down, diagonally, to the gem on my right hip. But the dress had a strap at the top, connecting the top of the dress (covering my chest) to my back. It even had a little bow there.

In my opinion, the dress was really slutty up there but still. Utau was trying to cheer me up. I had to give her some credit.

Anyway, the skirt of the dress was three-quarter length. There was a lot of thin material covering the under garment of the dress.

All together when I saw the dress on the model, it looked marvellous.

When Utau brought the dress out, it looked lavishing.

When she put it on me, it looked outright out-of-place. Like I'm-not-a-slut-but-I-still-wear-slutty-clothes.

Utau though, apparently didn't think so. Her first comment when she saw the dress on me was, "Girl, you look sweet and hot, just like a babe. Oh if Ikuto could see you now. I'd love to see the look on his face. He'd flip!"

Since she talked about _him _it was hard for me to laugh at her joke. But seriously if I imagined Ikuto seeing me in this dress, not him, I'd flip! He's such a damn cat pervert that he'd perv all night, or worse, undo the strap, then perv all night.

The thought of that made me want to cry and laugh at the same time.

Cry because I knew he wasn't going to see me in this dress.

And laugh well because if he did, I'd flip!

Don't know which feeling was stronger so I just concentrated on not moving for Utau who was doing my make up.

I had to sit in front of the mirror while she did my make up and sang.

Well the singing wasn't so bad actually.

But the make up. I dreaded it.

She put on, moisturiser, foundation, touch up powder, blush, bronzer, shimmer, eyeshadow, mascara, lip stick (it was some weird type of lip stick that dried and then she put a moisturizer on that), lipliner, eyeliner, kohl, right down to eyebrow pencil.

I was just sitting there. Amazed at her for being able to do all that. And amazed at myself for not getting up and having a hissy fit.

When she was all done I stared at myself in wonder.

"Well how do you like it?" Utau asked. Quite proud of herself.

I blinked. Moved my arms. Was this person really me? I stood up.

"Utau! Who is this person in the mirror?! Why is she doing everything I am?!" I asked. Joking.

"Oh! She's you!" Utau said desperately. Also joking.

"Really?"

"Really!"

We both laughed.

Just then Rima came in.

"Hey Utau, what time is Ikuto coming? I have to make prep-," Rima stopped as soon as she saw me.

Utau gave her a warning look.

"Utau, what about what time Ikuto is coming?!" I asked suspiciously.

"Rima! Get out of here! And seven. The answer to your question." Utau said.

"My question, Utau," I said to Utau with a warning tone in my voice.

"I know another Ikuto who's coming back tonight?" Utau asked.

I coughed. "So?"

Then she turned to me. "Well you see. This party was supposed to be a surprise for you to meet Ikuto. You're his guest of honour. You're not supposed to know. And he doesn't know. He actually is coming tonight, though. Um, yeah. I wanted to bring you guys together, you know, romantically. I'm sorry. It's just that you'd be twice as happy if you didn't know. You know?"

"It doesn't matter when I know. I'll still be ecstatic-," I stopped when I saw Utau's grinning face.

"I mean that I won't be happy at all that that cat pervert's coming back!" I said loudly. Which was completely untrue and Utau knew that.

But I still wasn't giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"Since you know now, you just have to look even better for him tonight."

"Why?!" I protested.

"Because he's my brother. He wants you. I'm his little sister. I get him what he wants. I get him you." She explained so that there was no double meaning.

"Yeah right!" I said.

"Well look at the time, it's five to seven. Meaning he'll be here in five minutes. What you have to do is stay here until six fifty nine and as soon as he comes through that double door, you should be the only one he sees." Utau explained.

My heart was doing its thing again. Missing beats. Doing flips. Threatening to burst out of my chest. _IKUTO IS COMING BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! _

It was only a few minutes before the call.

**

* * *

**

**Aireen: HAHA! I'm leaving all you guys in suspense.**

**Ikuto: What exactly is gonna happen?**

**Aireen: Well you'll see.**

**Amu: What?**

**Ikuto: …**

**Aireen: …**

**Amu: What?!**

**Ikuto: You just killed the mood.**

**Aireen: Oh yeah, nice going.**

**Amu: I didn't do anything!**

**Aireen: No sweetie. You didn't do a thing.**

**Ikuto: She's right.**

**Amu: Fine! Be that way!**

**Aireen: We will!**

**Ikuto: Amu, chill,**

**Amu: Why?**

**Ikuto: Because *puts head on Amu's shoulder and whispers* I said so.**

**Amu: *shudders* Don't do that!**

**Aireen: Stop shouting.**

**Amu: Why?!**

**Aireen: Isn't it obvious. Don't complain when you've got him.**

**Amu: Why shouldn't I?**

**Aireen: Do. You. Know. How. Many. Girls. There. Are. Who. Would. Kill. For. Ikuto. To. Do. That. To. Them?**

**Amu: No**

**Ikuto: C'mon girls, review and prove to Amu that you all love me**

**Aireen: Yeah, we'll have a poll!**

**Amu: Why would anyone love a cat-cosplay freak like you?!**

**Ikuto: Aw, that gets me right there Amu!**

**Aireen: Yeah, don't be so mean.**

**Amu: Okay, I'm sorry.**

**Aireen: Good.**

**Ikuto: It's fine. REVIEW!**


	4. Realisation Hit

**Aireen: Back with the fourth chapter.**

**Ikuto: Name?**

**Aireen: Realisation hit**

**Ikuto: Why does the chapter title suck?**

**Aireen: The story suspense makes up for it though.**

**Ikuto: So, a lot is gonna happen in this chapter.**

**Aireen: Maybe…**

**Amu: What?**

**Ikuto: Ah, the guest of honour has arrived**

**Amu: What the hell, Ikuto?!**

**Aireen: It's true, Amu you are officially the guest of honour**

**Amu: What is with the end of the last chapter? What's gonna happen?**

**Ikuto: Who knows?**

**Aireen: Me**

**Ikuto: True that**

**Amu: My first question**

**Aireen: Right, it's suspense**

**Amu: But, "It was a few minutes before the call,"**

**Aireen: Right**

**Amu: What call?**

**Ikuto: You'll find out**

**Aireen: Be a little patient**

**Amu: Fine!**

**Ikuto: Aireen doesn't own Shugo Chara!**

**Amu: Review please!**

**Aireen: And read…**

**

* * *

**

**Amu's POV**

The phone was ringing. Ringing more loudly than other times if you know what I mean.

Utau skipped to the phone, somehow, managing not to wreck her appearance.

"Hello." Utau said, superficially

The voice on the other end of the line spoke and Utau's expression changed but I couldn't tell what it changed to because she turned away from me.

I went outside; she might want to be alone while speaking to whoever it was.

**Utau's POV**

"Hello." I said, superficially,

"Miss Utau! We've got trouble! Please give it to Mr. Makino!" Karin's voice said frantically from the other end of the line.

I turned away from Amu. And I heard her leave the room.

"Give me a moment, Karin," I said.

I wanted to know but it was better for the adults to talk about things like these.

I connected the phone to Mr Makino's office.

"Yes Miss Utau, what may I do for you today?"

"Mr Makino, Karin wants to speak with you,"

"Very well then,"

The rest of the conversation was blocked to me.

Something had gone horribly wrong. Had they missed their flight? No, Karin of all people wouldn't be moved by that. Then what could have happened to make Karin, the calmest, most level headed person I knew, worry like that?

A mystery.

I walked outside of the room as well.

I looked around to see Amu waiting at the stairs for me.

She raised her eyebrows.

She wanted to know what happened. I shrugged. I had no idea.

I walked to her.

"I don't know much, but Karin called. Karin is one of our servants in France. She's supposed to be coming with Ikuto."

"Really?! What did she say?!" Amu asked excitedly.

I decided to tease her because I didn't want her to worry, "Oh Amu, you want to know? I thought you didn't care that the cat pervert is coming back?"

Amu's face blushed ten shades of pink, "I mean… w-well, I d-don't care. J-just curious."

I laughed. Amu loved Ikuto so much, yet she didn't know it. How can one person be so dense?

"She said that…"

"Yes?"

"She said that…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not telling!" I said quickly.

I saw Amu's face change from excited to upset almost instantly.

We were standing at the top of the stairs talking. I was waiting for Takahashi (the guard who was supposed to open the door and signal to me when Ikuto came) to do the signal. _What could be taking him so long?_ I thought to myself.

It was a little past seven. Amu might get worried so I thought I'd do some realisation things.

"Nee, Amu?"

"Yeah?"

"You like Ikuto right."

"Yeah," Amu said kind of hesitantly. "Why?"

"How do you like him?" I asked her,

"As a friend, I guess,"

"Are you sure?"

"I think?"

"How do you feel about him?"

"What do you mean?" She asked. The look on her face clearly read out that she had no idea where this conversation was headed.

"Do you think about him a lot?" I was being serious and Amu could tell. I wasn't teasing her.

Amu decided to answer honestly (for once!), "Well, I, yes, yes I do,"

"Do you like it when he's with you?"

"Well, it's kinda hard to explain, you know. He sort of lightens up my mood and is really supportive. He pisses me off a lot but he's there when I really need him. Oh my God, you know, once, I swear it was so weird, I was waiting under this tree for the rain to stop, and I remembered him playing his violin around there and I said his name aloud and oh my God, he dropped down from the tree! It scared the living hell out of me, I swear!"

"So you like being around him?"

"Well, yeah, I guess,"

"Do you get extremely upset when he's gone?" we both knew the answer to that question. It was all about if Amu was gonna be honest or not.

"Uh, I'll be honest. I do miss him, a lot. And I get sad when he's not around and well, I just really, really miss him."

"Do you love him?"

"What?! No! I don't love him, he's just a good friend! I can't love him!"

"Why not?"

"Because I love Tadase."

"Do you think about Tadase a lot, and be honest because I'll catch you if you're lying?!"

"Yes, I think about him sometimes,"

"As much as Ikuto,"

"Well,"

"Be honest Amu with yourself and me,"

"No, not as much as Ikuto," Amu sighed in defeat.

"Do you like it when he's around you?" I asked.

"Yes! I do!"

"Is he as easy to talk to as Ikuto is?"

"No, I kind of have to be careful of what I say around him so I don't hurt his feelings,"

"Does he lighten up your mood? As much as Ikuto?"

"Not as much as Ikuto,"

"Is he supportive?"

"Not as much as Ikuto,"

"Is he always there when you need him?"

"Not always,"

"Then how can you say you love Tadase?!

"Well because…"

"It's just a little crush with Tadase,"

"How would you know?!"

"You're the one who told me!"

"I-I,"

"It's Ikuto you love, not Tadase!" I'd had enough. I was so frustrated that even though there were so many signs she couldn't see!

"What?" Amu softened her voice. It seemed she was asking this to herself. "Do I really love Ikuto?"

"Yes, Amu, you do, you just don't know it." I said in a softer voice.

**Amu's POV**

"Yes, Amu, you do, you just don't know it." Utau said.

I loved Ikuto. How is that possible? When I think about everything Utau said and everything that she asked me, I do.

I love Ikuto.

But when, where, how did I fall in love with him?

**In Amu's Mind ~dream sequence~**

_Sexy lady on the floor, keep you coming back for more,_

_Sexy lady on the floor, keep you coming back for more,_

_I did it unknowingly; my heart was taken away,_

_I did it unknowingly; my heart was taken away,_

_Magic, yes magic has been done,_

_I seem awake but asleep and off in my own world,_

_In his memories; in the dreams of him,_

_My heart spins!_

_He's made me crazy; he's made me crazy,_

_He's made me crazy, oh crazy,_

_He's made me crazy,_

_He's made me crazy; he's made me crazy,_

_He's made me crazy, oh crazy,_

_He's made me crazy,_

_He doesn't know, it's not his mistake,_

_I've lost it for this guy, someone tell him,_

_He doesn't know, it's not his mistake,_

_I've lost it for this guy, someone tell him,_

_Slowly, slowly, in denial, _

_Sometimes in waiting,_

_In his love,_

_My heart spins!_

_He's made me crazy; he's made me crazy,_

_He's made me crazy, oh crazy,_

_He's made me crazy,_

_I went there, I went here,_

_Every moment I thought of him, wherever I went,_

_I went there, I went here,_

_Every moment I thought of him, wherever I went,_

_Whether its day or night, I want him to be with me,_

_Whenever there's talk of him,_

_My heart spins!_

_He's made me crazy; he's made me crazy,_

_He's made me crazy, oh crazy,_

_He's made me crazy,_

_Sexy lady on the floor, keep you coming back for more,_

_I did it unknowingly; my heart was taken away,_

_I did it unknowingly; my heart was taken away,_

_Magic, yes magic has been done,_

_I seem awake but asleep and off in my own world,_

_In his memories; in the dreams of him,_

_My heart spins!_

_He's made me crazy; he's made me crazy,_

_He's made me crazy, oh crazy,_

_He's made me crazy,_

_He's made me crazy; he's made me crazy,_

_He's made me crazy, oh crazy,_

_He's made me crazy,_

**Back to reality, Amu's POV**

I snapped out of my daydream when the big doors to the hall opened.

"Miss Utau! Miss Utau!" A man came shouting in. "Miss Utau, Karin's called to say that the Tsukiyomi Mansion in France was destroyed. It was burnt down!"

"WHAT?!" Utau screeched. I'd never heard her scream like that before.

"Master Aruto got out fine, but Master Ikuto,"

"WHAT HAPPENED TO IKUTO?!!!!!!!!!!" Utau screamed the loudest I'd ever heard,

"Karin fears that he may be dead,"

I felt as if my heart had stopped. There was pain. Only pain. Immense pain. Pain stronger than any pain I'd ever felt, colossal pain.

'_Karin fears that he may be dead,"_

'_fears that he may be dead,'_

'_that he may be dead,'_

'_he may be dead,'_

'_may be dead,'_

'_be dead,'_

'_dead'_

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I yelled.

And the last thing I remember was the carpet rushing up to meet my face.

**Utau's POV**

"Karin fears that he may be dead," Takahashi said.

NO! I thought. Impossible.

Ikuto dead. No! I wouldn't accept it.

Amu looked so pale. Clearly she couldn't take it.

I had to be strong. At least in front of Amu.

When Amu hit the ground the first thing I did was yell at Takahashi to get her to the hospital ASAP.

Then I ran up the stairs, into my room and I slammed the door shut.

I locked the door and let the emotion get me. Tears flew out of my eyes.

I don't know when he entered the room, or how, I mean I was standing in front of it, but he may have been in there before, but suddenly he was standing in front of me.

He took me in his arms.

"He's not dead, right?" I sobbed on his chest, ruining his mostly green with white and black striped shirt with tears.

"I don't know but I hate to see you cry." He hugged me tighter. I felt bad for Amu, she loved Ikuto the way I loved Kukai. How must she feel?

"Oh, what would I do without you, Kukai?"

"I wonder."

I laughed a little in between sobs and he held me for what seemed like a very, very long time.

"Thanks,"

"For what?" He asked

"For just being here,"

"Oh, I always am though,"

I laughed a little more.

**

* * *

**

**Aireen: Well how did you like my chapter?**

**Ikuto: It seems the plot is finally coming in.**

**Aireen: the plot being what I had planned when I started writing this story.**

**Ikuto: But I died!**

**Aireen: Did you?**

**Ikuto: It clearly said I died!**

**Aireen: Oh, okay. *whispers to Ikuto***

**Ikuto: I see.**

**Amu: What?**

**Aireen: He sees that he is dead.**

**Amu: Okay, wait- What?!**

**Ikuto: Aren't you sad, Amu?**

**Amu: That you're dead.**

**Ikuto: yeah,**

**Amu: Well…**

**Utau: I know I am**

**Kukai: Yeah Aireen, you made her cry! **

**Aireen: What was that?! *death glare***

**Kukai: Nothing**

**Aireen: Well I'm sorry Utau but you're an essential part of the side story.**

**Ikuto: Chill, just coz I'm dead doesn't mean the fanfic stops right?**

**Amu: Tough luck writing the fanfic without Ikuto in it Aireen.**

**Aireen: Well, you'll see, anyway our readers can predict what might happen!**

**Amu: Please review! **


	5. The End

Aireen: I'm back with the fifth chapter. (Sorry it took soooooo long)

Ikuto: No, I would've never guessed

Aireen: the end, what a title

Ikuto: It's not really the end though, right?

Aireen: Of course not! I wouldn't end my very first fanfic with only five chapters!

Ikuto: This chapter is very typical Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet –ish.

Amu: What?

Aireen: I know, but I had to do something like this.

Ikuto: No, you didn't. I didn't have to die.

Aireen: You dieing was all part of the main plot from the start!

Ikuto: You could have continued the story without me dieing!

Aireen: No I couldn't have!

Ikuto: Why not?!

Aireen: Because!

Ikuto: None of the readers are gonna read anymore after this chapter because they know I'm dead, I just wonder how many gave up on reading after the last chapter!

Amu: Wait, why are you guys fighting? Ikuto comes back anyway-

Aireen: Shut UP! ~whispers to Amu~

Amu: Oh, okay but don't fight.

Ikuto: As the main character of this series commands. At least now I know Amu loves me.

Amu: What?

Ikuto: You admitted it last chapter

Amu: *blushes* only in the fanfic!

Aireen: And in the manga!

Ikuto: Yeah

Aireen: I LOVED THAT BIT SOOOOO MUCH!

Ikuto: SPOILER WARNING

Aireen: Amu was like, "The person I liked wasn't the real Tadase, it was his outer character." And then she was like, "Ikuto somehow came into my heart," Ahhh so cute!

Amu: I also said that I don't know whether that's love or like.

Aireen: But I do. It's clearly LOVE!

Ikuto: Clearly. At the very least Kiddie King is ready to give you up to me. He never stood a chance!

Aireen: YEAH! NEVER STOOD A CHANCE!

Ikuto: Stop talking in capital letters.

Aireen: But I'm trying to make a point to Amu.

Amu: I can comprehend well without speech in capital letters.

Aireen: Can you? I would've never guessed.

Ikuto: Amu's vocabulary seems to have widened in the past 24 hours.

Amu: 24 hours?

Ikuto: When we spoke yesterday you were still using your too comprehensible words while speaking.

Aireen: Really?

Ikuto: Yes

Aireen: Well then Amu, YOKUDEKIMASHITA! (Japanese for Well Done or something similar)

Ikuto & Amu: Stop speaking in capital letters!

Aireen: Fine then. Read and Review!

Ikuto: AIREEN DOES NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA

Aireen: now you're doing it too…

* * *

Utau's POV

It's weird when you cry. Eventually you can't cry anymore and you're stuck with what you should do next.

I guessed that I should go and see Amu. Where was she? She must've been in shock.

I went outside. I looked around. Amu was nowhere to be found.

I spotted Kukai, "Hey! Have you seen Amu?"

"I think Takahashi took her to the hospital,"

"Why? What happened? She only fainted, right?"

"Well my guess is that the GP came and told Takahashi that it was a serious case or something complicated so he took her to the hospital."

"Do you know which one?" I asked.

"Well, which is the closest?" He asked back.

"Our local clinic isn't very fitting so he must've taken her to the hospital at the end of the block." I guessed.

"Do you want me to take you there?" Kukai asked.

"I can go by myself." I answered.

"Then I'll accompany you." Kukai said.

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious, I want to spend time with you? Besides, you're still not over it. Even if it has been a few days."

"Okay then, let's go." I said.

"Okay,"

---------------------------------------------At the hospital--------------------------------------------

The receptionist was taking her time calling the doctor to meet with us.

"Are you here for Miss Hinamori Amu?" A high, girly voice asked from behind us.

"Yes," Kukai answered.

"Follow me then please." She said. She must be a nurse.

The nurse took us to a ward.

I looked at Amu's lifeless body on the bed. There wasn't any oxygen mask.

The doctor, his name tag said Shibazaki, came in.

"She hasn't woken up even once." Was his first sentence to us.

"What?!" I yelled in frustration

"It seems that her body is in a coma-like state." Shibazaki continued.

"So will she be alright?" I asked, nervous. Kukai squeezed my hand. And somehow, I drew strength from that.

"Well, you see, there are slight complications. She breathes, but her eyes remain closed and her senses aren't working. As if she's sleeping, but never waking up."

"What do you mean?" Kukai asked the words that we stuck in my throat.

"I mean that her state is coma-like. When people are in a coma, they can see and hear just as well as we can. Their minds work properly, but their bodies can't. Just like that, but she doesn't respond to anything. She won't wake up. We even tried shocks after a while but she still won't wake up."

"Do you have-," I took a deep breath, "Any idea of what the hell is wrong with her."

Shibazaki thought about that for a moment. "Has she received any big shock recently, has maybe anyone died in her family?" He asked.

It was paining for me to answer but I didn't have to, "Actually yes, someone very close to her died just a few days ago, she yelled and fainted and then she was brought to the hospital," Thank Kami-sama for Kukai. He gave me a caring look. And I threw a look of gratitude at him.

"Well we've done some check ups, we've also called expert doctors from across the country and overseas, to see what's wrong with her. I've never seen anything like this." Shibazaki led the way outside. "We need to discuss the fee."

Stupid, stupid doctor! Here my best friend was dying and he was talking about money. I was so frustrated. "Kukai, tell this guy that the fee will be paid. Whatever the hell it comes down to."

"Sure."

Kukai went off and spoke with the doctor and I went back to Amu's side. "Oh, Amu, I didn't know that you loved him THIS much. If you die, I swear, I'm gonna…"

Tears suddenly were running down my cheeks. Overflowing in my eyes.

"He shouldn't have died! I can't take it Amu! First him and now you! Amu, you're listening right? Can you hear me?" I wondered about what Shibazaki had just said. He'd said she couldn't hear and it was like she was asleep. What can wake up a girl who's depressed about her boyfriend's death, "Amu…? Ikuto," I whispered into her ear.

Suddenly, Amu's whole body jumped. As if it was being shocked.

"NURSE!" I screeched. The nurse came in immediately.

But it wore off, Amu stopped moving soon.

What could be wrong with her? I tried again but it didn't work.

=======================A few days later========================

The phone was ringing; I didn't want to pick it up.

"Hello?" I said, groggily. Since Amu was in hospital and my big brother was dead I hadn't been able to sleep properly and most days were depressing.

"Good Afternoon, Utau," I heard the only voice that could possibly cheer me up.

"Kukai!"

"Yeah, um, well, that doctor called up, Shibazaki, and he says to get to the hospital ASAP," Kukai said.

Stupid hospitals! They were so depressing. But a lot of things were these days. I mean I had plenty of reasons to be depressed.

"Sure,"

+++++++++++++++++++++++At the hospital++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I stared at Amu's almost lifeless body which used to be so full of life. And whenever talk of Ikuto would spread around, her cheeks would go this really cute colour of pink that I'd never seen on anyone else.

"Are you listening to me, Miss Utau?" Shibazaki asked, snapping me out of my daydream.

"What? No, why would I be?" I snapped.

Shibazaki cleared his throat, "Because now we know what's wrong with your friend."

"Really, then what is wrong with her? And why isn't she fixed yet?" I yelled.

"To answer your first question, this girl here, her case is the most interesting of my life; it's so simple, yet so complicated. She's alive, but her mind has shut down her body."

"What?!" I was so frustrated. Mind has shut down her body? What the hell?

"So, why?" Kukai asked. He was holding my hand and I was thankful for that or I just might burst into tears right now.

"Well because that important someone in her life, the one who died, held such a presence in her mind that knowing that he was dead just was too painful. In moments like these when the pain is too strong for the body to bear, the mind is smartest of all, it shut down her body so that she didn't have to bear it, cut off all her emotions in this state, so she won't respond because it knows that as soon as consciousness arrives again, there will be immense pain. So her body is not working." Shibazaki explained.

"So how do you fix it?" Kukai asked for me.

"Well, you see, we don't know, unless that person comes back to life somehow and maybe talks to her, she just won't respond." Shibazaki, the renowned doctor was clueless. Renowned doctor my foot.

Karin's POV

"Listen, Master! You are in no condition to be travelling. You need to rest." I protested. He wanted to leave for Japan right now. He couldn't.

"I-I w-wi-ll," He managed to say. He could hardly breathe properly, lot less speak.

"Master, you have to stop this madness. You can't go!" He was being a maniac.

Ever since that call from Miss Utau:

"Hello? Karin."

"Yes Miss Utau," The phone was on speaker and I was in the Master's room. He was completely bedridden at that time.

"Well um, when are you coming back to, uh, Japan?" She asked.

"I'm not sure, Miss Utau." I answered.

"Well I wanted to tell you to come back as soon as possible."

"Of course, Miss Utau. Was there anything else?"

"Yes actually there was. Amu's dying! Stupid Shibazaki can't even fix her!" The master's body suddenly became alert at this.

"Amu?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah, my friend, I'm sorry, I just had to say it to someone, that's okay, and it didn't mean anything." Utau said. Her voice breaking. The phone was cut after that.

By that time, the master had gotten out of bed and taken out his suitcase which was already filled.

"Master going now would be fatal to you." I tried to make him understand. Tried to make him get that he couldn't go.

"I don't care!" He said, so harsh that I couldn't refuse him. But I couldn't let him go.

"I don't care whether or not you're coming," he paused for a breath, "I'm going! And that's it!"

…'s POV

It hurt. It did. So much that it was hard to bear. Hey that precious thing had been saved at least. Thank Kami-sama that I was a quick healer.

"I don't think you should go-nya!" Yoru said.

"I have to," I answered, "She needs me,"

Oh, Amu. _Wherever you are, I'm there,_

_Step by step, with you, like your sky,_

_Wherever you are, I'm there,_

_Step by step with you, like your sky,_

_If it's too sunny, I'll become your shade,_

_If you are alone, I'll become your accompaniment_

_Whatever distress is in your heart, I'll sort it out,_

_Wherever you are, I'm there,_

_Step by step with you, like your sky,_

_If there are clouds of sadness, let them fall on me,_

_Let all your worries, clash against me,_

_If you're sad about anything let it come on me,_

_Wherever you are, I'm there,_

_Step by step with you, like your sky,_

I was hurting so much. Only because of Amu. That silly girl, getting herself in a condition bad enough that Utau couldn't take it. At least she has Kukai.

Where was that stupid Kiddie King now? If I see him chilling out when I get back I will squish his stupid crowned head!

I was bandaged and in a wheelchair. The airline staff was seriously considering whether or not I should be let on. I was fine with whatever. If they didn't let me on, I'd just go with the luggage. Even if that might be painful the only thing that I could think about was Amu.

Why do I love you so much, Amu?

I would have to figure out what caused it. Then I'll kill the problem, the person who caused the problem, and the person who spread the problem.

Yoru was worried sick. He didn't want me going either in the condition that I was in.

But no pain was worse than losing Amu. I couldn't even think about losing her.

Amu, you'd better not be dead by the time I get there!

Utau's POV

Damn, I shouldn't have let it slip to Karin. She might be worrying now. C'mon one death and one almost-death is enough for one week. Who needs the stress?

"Do you really think that Ikuto is dead?" Kukai asked, he'd been thinking really deeply for the past half hour.

"Well yeah, Karin said…" then realisation hit. Suddenly a ray of hope was shining through the dark clouds of despair. "Karin said that she fears he may be dead!" I exclaimed.

"Exactly, so what if he isn't. Maybe he's just hospitalized like our Amu." Kukai said.

"Maybe, but then why didn't he call?" I asked.

"Because well Karin feared that he may be dead."

"Your point…Oh! Right, he must be in a really bad condition." I got it.

That means there really was hope for Amu. We just had to wait a little to bring Ikuto here. I hope that he didn't know. If he did, about Amu, he would come even if he was half dead.

"This is so great!" I shouted.

"Yeah," Kukai said.

"The best thing I've heard all week!" I yelled in happiness. Just you wait and see, Amu, Ikuto will come just like your hero and wake you up, like sleeping beauty.

It's a good thing that I kept that dress. Ikuto will flip if he sees it on her.

"Ikuto will flip if he sees that on her." Kukai said.

He must've realised I was staring at the dress. I specially made it for Amu. Flat-chested and all.

Things were finally starting to look great again.

Ikuto's POV (I hope you all know that it's Ikuto after the last one, I mean YORU was there!)

The plane ride was a challenge definitely. But the service was good. Thank Kami-sama I'm rich. It was really funny. I'd broken one leg and the other had third degree burns. One of my arms had second degree burns and the other had been fractured. I'd broken a few of my ribs and got quite a few burns on my torso. (n/a: try imagining Ikuto like that. I know that I just can't!) Nothing, thankfully, had happened to my face but I hit my head when I fell, so there a bruise there but that's fine.

It was a tough situation, when I realised that I had nowhere to go I jumped, stupid of me, up to the third floor, to the kitchen there. The taps had been left on there which means there wasn't much fire. But when I jumped I hit my head on the staircase's railing and fainted, falling flat onto the ground on the first floor.

I was worried, definitely. I frequently flipped through magazines, whichever ones were close, it was hard to reach and get them. And I tried to take my mind of the hurting. Both hurts.

But I soon came across a fashion magazine. Sitting there, I was bored, my body hurt, my heart ached for Amu, what could I do?

I looked at all the skanky clothes and fiery dress styles. Then Amu came to mind. I tried to imagine Amu wearing something from those magazines. In each dress. It was so hard and I was so sure that Amu would never wear something like that. Though I saw one and thought of Utau, then I thought if Utau would dress Amu like that. She definitely would. It was the bright pink colour of Amu's hair and had pretty blue sapphires on it.

Strapless, except for keeping-the-body-of-the-dress-up string, it did have sleeves, though the sleeves weren't connected to the dress. The sleeves were made of very thin material with a circle of elastic at the top of them to hold them in place. The back was completely bare down til the pelvis line. The dress line came down, diagonally, to the gem on the woman's right hip. The skirt of the dress was three-quarter length. There was a lot of thin material covering the under garment of the dress.

Oh, Amu would look so gorgeous in that dress. I'd probably flip if I actually saw her in that. Sexy, sexy, too sexy.

Oh, how I would just love to stroke her soft, silky hair right now. I thought then.

A few hours later, the plane landed and I was at the airport. I, well, it hurt to walk around, but since I was wearing clothes that hid all my bandages and casts, I don't think many people could tell. I didn't bring the suitcase. Karin would've found out if I did that.

Instead I took all my clothes in my hand luggage. I got a cab and told the driver to get me to the hospital near my house. (N/A; it has a name I'm just to lazy to think of one)

I did have just enough Japanese Yen left in my wallet. I'd left most of it in France. It was around twelve-thirty at night. Which meant that I couldn't see Amu now…legally.

I didn't even know which room Amu was in, it was a hot night; windows could have been left open.

My line of sight flew to the pipes. Yoru knew what I was thinking.

"NO! Ikuto, if you climb that thing, you're going to be in more pain than before-nya!" Yoru cried out, completely dissatisfied with my plan to see Amu.

"Yeah, but Yoru," Did I mention it was hard to breathe properly? "She needs me,"

It was simple. She needed me and I had to be there. There was no other option. No other choice. Why didn't anyone get that?

Now to get up there. I tried to flex my muscles and ended up hurting myself even more.

"I guess," I paused for breath, "I should just," I paused again, I hated pausing but it was hard to speak, "do it, right?"

"Ikuto-nya! We can come back tomorrow! You'll hurt yourself. You're already in such a bad condition!" Yoru cried.

"Don't worry, Yoru," breathe, "And I don't think I have till tomorrow," I said it really fast so I could say in one breathe. And partly so Yoru didn't get it.

But clearly Yoru could feel it too. We didn't have much time. And tomorrow might never come.

I took a deep breath, ignoring the stabs of pain in my lungs and chest. I strolled (more like limped) over to the pipe.

I was good at climbing pipes, lots of practice you know. (Amu's house, my own house when I wanted to get away)

I wasn't in the best condition though. So before I returned to sanity I quickly went a few meters up.

"Yoru, could you," a breath! "uh, maybe go see which floor Amu's in?" I asked Yoru. He flew up.

"She's right here-nya!" Yoru said.

Thank Kami-sama that Amu was only on the third floor.

I went up further, ignoring the immense pain and the protesting of my body muscles, well they should just get over it.

I'm not going to stop, so they better get used to it. The pain, I mean.

After what seemed like days (but was only a few minutes) I finally made it to Amu's room. As usual, even though she didn't do it, her window was open.

I fell in injuring my body further. The pain was so much greater now. It seemed that some of my wounds were becoming fresh again. The broken bones were ready to become dead bones too.

I looked at Amu. It suddenly became intensely difficult to breath. I'd probably hit my ribs (I think one went into the lung or something like that. That's probably why I can't breathe properly) on my way up.

My legs were becoming weaker and I felt like I was slipping away from consciousness. From life.

Still I looked around until I found Amu. Her lifeless body shocked me. I'd never seen her, this, deathly pale. Her usually colourful cheeks were ghost-white.

It was getting harder and harder to breath. It came to the point in those five seconds that breathing all together was too painful. But I had something to say to Amu.

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the effort it took in doing so, "A-Amu," I managed.

Her body responded. Maybe she could hear me. I could feel my wounds getting worse.

"_A-a hundred lives," _

"_I will surpass,"_

"_Just for your love,"_

"_My belov-e-,"_

"Amu!" I yelled with all my strength.

Her eyes flickered. Her body became alert.

"_A hundred lives, I will surpass, just for your love, my beloved…"_ I said it as loud as I could and in one breath. My last. Because I could feel the pressure on me. The immense pressure and then I had no choice but to give in to the pain.

Amu's POV

I could hear someone. The voice was wonderful. My heart was being soothed just by listening to it.

I wondered what happened. I couldn't remember well, but…

"_A-a hundred lives," _

"_I will surpass,"_

"_Just for your love,"_

"_My belov-e-,"_

"Amu!"

Ikuto! It was Ikuto's voice! He wasn't dead! Ikuto!

I tried to speak but I couldn't. I tried to get up but I couldn't. I had to see him. He sounded as if he was in pain.

"_A hundred lives, I will surpass, just for your love, my beloved…" _

Ikuto's voice said like a remedy to the deepest wound.

His voice was faltering at the end. What's happened?!

I used all my strength. I would get up, would get up!

GET UP YOU! AMU, DAMMIT, GET UP!!!!!

I forced myself. I opened my eyes. I moved my hands until I had full control of them.

I realised something wet on my legs. The blanket was over them. Where was I?

There was something heavy on my legs too. I looked carefully and I saw…

It was Ikuto!

"IKUTO! Get up!" He was faced down on me.

I lifted his face. His eyes were open. He wasn't breathing. He was dead!

"NO! Ikuto you can't do this to me again!" I cried.

"I love you," I said. And I understood the meaning of his words. I didn't get to say it before. I didn't get to tell him that I loved him.

He was dead, I didn't know what I would do.

My sanity lost from me I searched around for something sharp. Very sharp. I looked everywhere.

I found a scalpel. Some stupid doctor or nurse must've dropped it. It had blood on it. Who cared?

"IKUTO!" I yelled his name as loud as I could. I held the scalpel a few inches from my body. I kissed Ikuto's cheek and dug the blade it with full force. Straight to the heart.

* * *

Aireen: And so comes the end of my fifth chapter which was the longest one I wrote!

Ikuto: Hey, I wasn't really dead after all.

Amu: What?

Ikuto: Do you listen? You're making a habit of saying what all the time.

Aireen: He's got a point you know.

Amu: Well, sorry, it's not my fault if you guys talk in mysteries.

Aireen: We don't

Ikuto: You just don't listen.

Aireen: Anyway, can any of you, the readers, guess what's going to happen now?

Ikuto: I bet you can't

Amu: Yeah me too.

Aireen: Oh. C'mon it's not that uncommon

Ikuto: Sure and I have yellow hair like a certain kid I know

Aireen: Yeah but there've been movies made about it a lot recently.

Amu: Not Hollywood movies that's for sure.

Ikuto: Everyone's probably thinking, 'what the hell movies does she watch then?' or 'what planet is she from?'

Aireen: No, I do watch a lot of Hollywood movies but you know, I watch other movies too.

Ikuto: Want to tell everyone your origin.

Aireen: Okay! My mother's half Japanese and half Chinese and my dad's half Aussie and half Indian.

Amu: WOW! freaky combo.

Aireen: Tell me

Ikuto: But you're only slightly tanned.

Aireen: Just because I have part Indian in me doesn't mean that I have to have brown coloured skin! You racist!

Ikuto: I didn't mean it. Sorry!

Aireen: THAT'S OKAY!

Amu: You're starting to talk in capital letters again…

Ikuto: Yeah,

Aireen: WHAT?! IT'S FUN!!!

Ikuto: Sure.

Aireen: You know it is. You were doing it at the end of last episode too!

Ikuto: Fine.

Amu: Everyone, review!


	6. Zinda Rehti Hai Inki Mohabbatein

Aireen: The sixth chapter is here. What else can I say?

Ikuto: Can you please explain the title?

Aireen: Sure, zinda rehti hai inki mohabbatein

Ikuto: What the hell does that mean?!

Aireen: You'll find out.

Amu: What?

Aireen: What the title means.

Ikuto: What's wrong, Aireen?

Aireen: I'm depressed!

Ikuto: Why?

Aireen: Because the two of you are dead!

Ikuto: You brought that one on yourself.

Aireen: I know I did

Amu: Then why are you sad?

Aireen: Because I love you guys!

Amu: Oh, that's so sweet, Aireen.

Ikuto: Who here actually thinks that we're dead.

Amu: Yeah, I mean, Ikuto was dead and he came back to life.

Aireen: That was actually just a slip. Remember, Karin _fears _he may be dead.

Amu: So?

Aireen: fears, as in, she didn't really know if he would live or die. She just thought there was a possibility that he could die.

Amu: Oh okay.

Aireen: This chapter is gonna be short, it's just the aftermath of what happened and the intro for the next bit.

Ikuto: So you're going to do a time skip type thing and just explain what happened in that section of time.

Aireen: Well yeah, but…

Amu: What?

Aireen: Nothing. Let's get on with the show!

Ikuto: Aireen does not own Shugo Chara!

Aireen: Or Mohabbatein

* * *

Utau's POV

The phone was ringing. Very loudly. It was so early I didn't feel like picking it up. It rang again. If a phone could ring angrily, mine was furious.

"Hello?" I answered. I finally got pissed at the stupid ring tone.

"Hello, Miss Utau." Said a very panicky voice on the other end of the line.

"What? Who is it?" I asked.

"It's me, Miss Amu's nurse. There's been a bit of a, a, well, a mishap. Could you please get here as soon as possible?" She squeaked into the phone. Then she hung up.

++++++++++++++++++++++At the hospital+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mishap? Try freaking death!

"What the hell happened here?!" I yelled at the nurse when I got there. But I was given the answer as soon as I stepped in.

It was Amu's room. At one AM in the morning. With two bodies. Both bloody. On her bed.

I screamed.

I couldn't move. It was horrible. It was _his _body underneath, bloody and bandaged. And her body was on top, fine, but with a scalpel stuck in her chest. Kind of. His head was on her lap and her torso was arched over his head.

Hot tears raced down my cheeks. My eyes overflowed. My vision became blurry. But I couldn't sob. I couldn't make a sound. My happiness couldn't even be slightly enjoyed. Ikuto must've run hear when he heard. From Karin.

That stupid b***h. She should've been careful!

But I knew it was my fault. She wouldn't know that I was going to say that. Why do stupid cats have stupid enhanced hearing?!

I was devastated. This was so much more that a girl like me could take in one week.

I screamed again.

Worse than any nightmare. It was reality. I could only wish it was all a dream.

The nurse's consoling did not help at the very least.

I stood up abruptly. I couldn't take it. Two of the most important people in my life were dead. On the same night. In the same place. It was despicable.

I ran outside. Down the stairs (Because I couldn't wait for the stupid lift!). And out onto the dark street.

"What f***ing game are you playing with me, Kami-sama!" I yelled out into the dark night.

A dark figure was approaching. 'Please let it be a baddie' I prayed. I was in the worst mood. Beating someone up was exactly what I wanted to do!

But no, it was… Kukai! Running towards the hospital.

Obviously he'd been called too.

He took me in his arms.

"I can't go back in there!" I yelled to his chest.

"It's okay, I know." He'd probably been told on the phone.

He held me for a long time and it started to rain. He took me home. And stayed.

_Mar bhi jaye, pyaarvale,_

_Mit bhi jaye, yaarvale,_

_Zinda rehti hai inki mohabbatein, _

_Zinda rehti hai inki mohabbatein, _

_Even if those in love were to die,_

_Even if those with lovers were destroyed,_

_Their love lives on forever,_

_Their love lives on forever,_

_Some love stories…_

_Live forever,_

_Ten years after this incident, when Kukai and Utau were 24 years old, they got married. _

_The year after that, Rima and Nagihiko also got married._

_The same year as that, Utau had a baby girl whom she named Luci-Jenifer after a famous French poet. _

_The following year, Utau had a baby, a boy, with midnight blue hair, she and Kukai named him Ikuto, in memory of Utau's big brother. _

_That same year they moved to France. _

_The next year, Rima and Nagi had a baby too, a cute girl with bright pink hair. They decided to name her Amu, in the memory of their good friend. _

_That year Rima and Nagi also moved, to Italy. _

_Yaya also got married. To Kairi. They stayed in Japan. _

_Tadase moved to England, got himself a job as a waiter at an expensive restaurant and later on, married the boss, whose name was Lulu, _

_Since they all separated, they hardly communicate. _

_Rima and Nagi and Kukai and Yaya talk sometimes but not much since long distance calls was really expensive._

_Utau became a playback singer and sung a lot of songs for movies. Especially in French. _

_Kukai became a sports teacher at a high school in France. _

_Rima became a child carer. She takes care of kids in her and Nagi's house. _

_Nagihiko became the basketball coach of a certain school in Italy. _

_The next part of this story takes place in Italy and France. _

_Twenty-eight years after the death of Tsukiyomi Ikuto and Hinamori Amu. _

_And seventeen years after the birth of Sohma Ikuto. _

_And sixteen years after the birth of Fujisaki Amu._

_  
How come they came back? _

_because the story is all about them_

_Because of love…._

_So remember,_

_Even if those in love were to die,_

_Even if those with lovers were destroyed,_

_Their love lives on forever,_

_Their love lives on forever,_

* * *

Aireen: Review please! I know it's kind of cheesy but I thought it was sweet. My dad happened to be watching the movie Mohabbatein at the time when I started to write this chapter so I thought it fit perfectly.

And I know it was short, it kind of makes up for the fifth chapter being so long.


	7. Tell me the first name!

Aireen: It is now the seventh chapter!

Utau: How come Ikuto and Amu aren't here?

Aireen: Because they haven't been introduced in this part of the story yet.

Utau: Will they be back to the chat?

Aireen: Sure.

Kukai: Utau C'mon we gotta go now.

Aireen: Just do the disclaimer.

Utau: Aireen does not own Shugo Chara or Max Lovely.

* * *

Utau's POV

It's been twenty-seven long years since my brother died.

I looked down to my lap, where my seventeen year- old son's head was. He was exactly my brother.

Sleeps way too much. He looked like Ikuto so much that you would think they were the same person.

"Ikuto!" I shouted at him.

Ikuto, my son, groaned, "I don't want to wake up yet, Mother."

"Well I have to go now!" I said sternly.

"No, stay." Ikuto was sure stubborn.

He wouldn't budge. But I was his mother, I knew exactly what to do.

"PEZ!!!!" I yelled.

Our faithful dog trotted up to my legs. As quick as thought, Ikuto got up off the couch.

"Stupid dog!" Ikuto said. He hated dogs. He was much more of a cat person.

"Hmph!" I grinned in triumph.

"Where are you going to go?" Ikuto asked me.

"I have to go for a recording today. Sorry, you're dad's coming home early though, take care of Pez for me." I said. I knew how much Ikuto hated dogs.

But he sure knew how to handle one. But today, his precious violin was at the repair shop. I laughed evilly and wondered what he would do without it.

Ikuto didn't have school today. Or more he was a little sick. He'd sweet talked me into letting him stay. Kukai got tricked. My sweet husband was the one who told me to let him stay home today.

Ikuto was a teenager. She should be rebelling. But he hardly did. He loved his parents to bits.

Sweet Ikuto, I didn't feel like leaving him alone for a whole three hours.

He looked SO adorable standing by the stairs in his dark blue t-shirt and grey track pants. He was scratching the back of his head wondering what he would do.

"Oh and can you make something for your father, he'll probably be tired after today. He just got a new team to train in soccer. And Luci will be late today; she needs to handle some new student documents." I didn't have to say it. Ikuto went to that school after all.

"Yeah, mom, sure," Ikuto answered in French, even if I was speaking Japanese. He was skilled in both languages; he just preferred to speak French. I think he got that from his sister. Luci spoke French most of the time too.

Ikuto walked over the refrigerator, "Mom,"

"Yes, Ikuto." I was about to walk out.

"We're out of milk." Ikuto said. Ikuto drank milk all the time. Like a cat. Like my dead brother.

"I'll get some on the way back." I said. And left the house.

I took three steps outside when I realised that I'd forgotten my car keys.

I turned back to get them but Ikuto was standing at the door with them.

"Here, you forgot again." Ikuto threw me the keys.

"Bye, mom, love you," Ikuto said. I think he was the only seventeen year old in all of France who said, 'I love you,' to his parents apart from his sister who had done it all her life and still did. Which was good, and it meant that we had raised them well.

"Love you too, Ikuto." I said as I walked out of the front gate.

Ikuto came out too. To the front gate. He always watched me drive all the way out of the street before he went inside. It was a habit of his and his sister's.

Rima's POV (N/A; doing Rima's POV is kinda hard coz I don't really know her character that well, sry)

I looked at my sixteen year old daughter. She looked a lot like my childhood friend, Amu, who Nagi and I named her after.

Though, sadly, Hinamori Amu, didn't make it to live till she was sixteen. If she did she would probably look exactly like my Amu here.

Amu was rushing to get to school on time. It was her first day. We had just moved to France.

"Mom! Can you please get my socks?!" She yelled.

"They're on the sofa," I said to her. I had to deal with kids all day. Amu was nothing compared to them.

"Okay, bye mom, I love you!" Amu shouted as she headed down the steps to our front yard. I followed her to the door.

The bus was waiting for her.

"See you mom!" She yelled.

"Your dad is not going to pick you up after school!" I told her.

"Okay!" She yelled back.

The bus rushed away.

We moved here because Nagi got a new job as a basketball coach at a school here. It was the same one that Amu was attending. It was also a girls' school that had a partner boys' school next to it. They had a connecting field where both girls and guys could hang and they had their assemblies together too. It payed way better than in Italy.

Now we had a huge house as well.

I never showed it or said it but I worried for her.

Now that we were in France, I would probably have to contact Utau or Kukai. Since they lived here.

Amu's POV

I got on the bus. There was two other people who weren't paying me any attention. I went and sat down at a window seat and stared out at my mom who was waiting at the door.

The bus stopped a few more times. Then a very pretty girl with dark, reddish brown hair.

She was the first person to talk to me.

"Hi!" She said. She was really tall. Maybe 165 or something like that.

"Hi," I said. We were speaking English.

"Are you Japanese?" She asked in Japanese.

"Yes," I said in Japanese.

"Cool, there aren't many Japanese people at our school but the ones who are, are really great!" She exclaimed.

"What's your name?" I asked her. Curious.

"Tokieda Airi!" She said. "And your's?"

"Fujisaki Amu." I said.

"You have a nice name." She said to me.

"You too." I said. By this time she was sitting next to me.

We chatted all the way to school.

Ikuto's POV

So bored. And with a stupid dog.

I hated how dad liked dogs. That's the only reason we kept one.

I hated dogs.

I didn't exactly know why though, maybe coz they are slobbering mongrels.

I seemed to have an unexplained battle with dogs.

I went upstairs and checked my phone.

I had twenty messages. I read the one from Sahara Taki. One of the few Japanese guys at my school.

_Ikuto; dude we got a new girl, she's a year younger, Airi's grade, pretty cute, not that tall, forgot her name, you should've come today man, oldie c got shown by our homeroom teacher this year. She so nailed him when she came in to the hall. She's really beautiful too. C u tomorrow, k. Taki._

A new girl, huh, pretty cute, he says.

_Taki; you falling for someone other than Airi, now? She's gonna kill you for that. I know that there's a new girl, Luci got informed two weeks ago. Where's she from, this new girl. Are you saying that our homeroom teacher is Fujiko this year? Daymn, but peeps say she's a little crazy. But oldie c got nailed, that sounds so sweet. Should've been there. Might come later then. Ikuto._

I had another text. From DJ. His real name was some really old fashioned French name so no one called him that.

_Ikuto; man we've got two freaking new hotties! One new girl a year younger. Freaking SEXY! And the teacher. She had oldie c frozen like ice. He was just staring like 'wow, never seen someone so hot'. Should've been there, was priceless. And guess what? We get to have music class with diff girls this year. Age mixing. Or something. We're with first year class 1. the new gals in that class. Pretty cool huh? C u dude. DJ_

No way. Even DJ was talking about this new girl. Was she like really pretty and hot? I'd have to see her soon.

_DJ; dude, do we have music today? Ikuto_

I definitely wanted to see the new girl and it seemed that music class would be the best way to do it.

I read the next one.

_Ikuto; Guess What? We have a new girl in first year. She's so pretty. With bright pink hair, like I've never seen. It's almost as weird as your and your sister's midnight blue hair. Anyway she just transferred here from Italy. Her father is the new basketball coach. Guess what? You're in luck, their Japanese. Just like you. Wonder if she can speak French? You'll like her, I reckon. And guess what else. She's already friends with Tokieda Airi. How's that for new. Just like you. Except in first grade. Immediately friends with Sahara Taki. The most popular guy even then. And now you guys score in all girls. That's why regular guys like us don't get any chocolates on Valentines Day. We buy them, sure but they don't really care. Anyway get well soon. Charles._

Pink hair. When I read that, my heart jumped. I didn't know why. It was really weird.

_Charles; what the hell is her name? And our hair is not weird, just awesomely unique. Friends with Airi? That's just coz Airi, is super social. Anyway, Taki and I became friends coz we shared a lot of the same interests and stuff. Plus we're always tied first. Ikuto_

All the rest of the texts concerned the new girl and the new teacher. Not one text said her name. Dammit! I wanted to know.

I went downstairs to get a glass of milk. Then when I got down there, I realised there was no milk.

Mom said that she would bring it. But she would probably forget. I went upstairs again. Grabbed my phone and wallet. I also took my jacket, coz it was cold. I left that stupid dog with the TV and told Maddie, our cleaning lady to keep and eye on him.

I headed out to the market. And everyone said hi. Bonjour.

I got to the supermarket. It was ten am. Late enough to be out. I went straight to the milk section.

There I found a little short lady with blonde hair. She looked about my mother's age, but I wasn't sure, my mom looked young for her age. She was struggling to carry two cartons of milk, three packs of juice and two tubs of ice cream that were in her basket.

I had one milk bottle in one hand, "Excuse me, would you like some help with that?" I asked her.

She looked up. I had the strangest feeling that I'd seen her somewhere before.

"YOU!" She yelled. "Tsukiyomi!"

Strangely, that name made me feel really strange. Like a form of déjà vu just more real.

"I'm not Tsukiyomi." I said to her. Though I felt weird to say it. It was like saying that my name wasn't Ikuto. But it really wasn't Tsukiyomi. Anyway.

"Oh," She said. She'd been mistaken.

"So, do you want me to help you?" I asked her.

"Okay." She said.

I took the basket off her and took it to the counter for her.

"Thank you," She said in… Italian.

"I don't speak much Italian." I said to her. In English.

"Oh, my bad." She said.

I went on to the next counter. It was Mr. Jon.

"Ikuto, my boy, why aren't you at school?" Mr. Jon said in French.

"I'm a little sick." I replied.

"Milk. You sure love milk. I should make a milk stand. I'd have business from your family." Mr. Jon laughed.

"I guess, I just like drinking milk." I said simply.

"That's good. You should see my daughter. She won't drink milk even if it kills her."

"That's funny. Her name was Moira wasn't it?" I asked.

"Yes, and that's (n/a ; I don't know much about French currency, but I think they use euros and their about two times Australian currency so milk, maybe six euros anyway I'm making it all up so if you're European then please don't mind the weird prices) six euros." Mr Jon said.

I got six euros out of my wallet and gave it to him.

"Here, thanks, Mr. Jon." I said as I walked away with the milk bottle.

"Anytime, son," He called back.

When I got home, I drank a glass of milk and looked through my messages again. I had three.

_Ikuto; No way man, only Airi, but yeah we got Fujiko. She's a freak. You were right. She yells at us like we molested her or something. Oldie c came in to our classroom just to see her. When we asked why he was here, he didn't have an answer. Just said he was walking around and decided to come and see our studies. My foot. Anyway if you come, come soon. Taki._

Freak, that's right. Fujiko. Also a Japanese person. She was the freakiest of freaky teachers at our school. Well that's what people said about her.

I read the next message

_Ikuto; man, seems that you're itching to meet this girl. And we have music tomorrow, last period. But why don't you come at lunch and maybe we can have a game? K, cya then, DJ_

Damn straight I wanted to meet this girl. Bright pink hair! Hello even I wanted to see that. And I felt joined to her somehow. Like I knew someone with pink hair, a long, long time ago. Hmm.

Since we had Music last I get I would go at lunch to have a game or two. Maybe, since she's Airi's friend. I'd get to meet her then.

The next text read:

_Ikuto; yeah right! Like that's the only reason you befriended Taki Sahara. Anyway I did some research on her and her name is Fujisaki. Last name. Japanese politeness, right? Taki and DJ said you might be coming. Cya then. Charles._

Fujisaki? Familiar, seemed like I knew the name. But not the name I was looking for. What the hell was her first name?! I guess I'd just go tomorrow then.

Fujisaki? Somehow Fujisaki reminded me of blue hair. And cross-dressing. Not a name I'd match up with pink hair. Anyway. Things were weird already.

Dammit! I'd expected her first name too. It was like they were personally trying to keep her first name away from me!

Amu's POV

"Amu, I heard you sung at your old school?" Airi said. It was lunch break and we were out in the middle of the field.

Since the language everyone spoke in this school was English, I had no problem communicating. The teacher though, would sometimes slip and say some words in French but it was obvious what they meant. And if I didn't know, Airi would always spell it out for me. Which was nice.

"No, not really. I don't sing very well." I said.

"You're being modest aren't you?" Airi asked me, suspicious.

"No. I just don't sing very well."

"But you do sing don't you?"

"Just a little." I answered.

"Sing for me, before the guys come." Airi said quickly.

"Guys?" I asked. Oh, the two schools shared a field.

"Yeah, my best friends! We started hanging out together coz we're all Japanese but then we became awesome friends. Of course, they play a game of basketball and soccer and then they come to join us. So sing."

"Okay." I said. A little uneasy. I hadn't sung in a while.

I cleared my throat.

"_Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh, oh,_

_Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh, oh,"_

"OMG! You're voice is amazing! Come with me." Airi exclaimed and took my hand.

She also got out her phone and sent a text to someone.

Airi dragged me all the way to the music room. In there was a girl with midnight blue hair. (Strangely I felt strange when I saw that beautiful hair). She turned. I saw her face. She was so pretty. Her face sort of looked familiar. And strangely I felt like she should've had blonde hair. But anyways.

"Oh, Airi. You must be Fujisaki Amu, right?" The girl said to me.

"Yes, ma'am." I said.

"Cool. You're prettier than in the photos. Anyways, I'm Luci. I was just leaving. Please make yourself welcome here, Amu." She said.

"She's the School Captain. Chosen by all the teachers. She's in charge of checking all the equipment. Musical instruments on Monday." Airi whispered.

"Anyway, you go on ahead, Airi spends most of her lunchtimes here too."

Then the pretty girl left. I was left staring at her.

"Hello? Amu?" Airi called.

"Yes?" I said.

"Okay, sing here."

Airi went to sit down at the drums. She started off and I came in.

"_Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh, oh,_

_Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh, oh,_

_Somewhere out there i know there is a someone who's waiting just for me, my love,_

_He's gonna set me free, my love,_

_In his eyes will be the search of me, there has to be someone like that, my love,_

_I will wait, my love,_

_I will be the thing that's missing from his life; he will be troubled by it, my love, _

_He will fall for me, my love,_

_In his every breath will be my name, even if he doesn't look it, my love,_

_The loyalest of loyalism, my love,_

_How long must i keep dreaming, a fantasy, why can't he be a part of my reality?_

_In his life i will be the light, and i will fill his dull life with colours,_

_Who i constantly see in my dream, he will be somewhere, my love,_

_He's my lover, my love,_

_Somewhere out there i know there is a someone, who's waiting just for me, my love,_

_He's gonna set me free, my love,_

_Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh, oh,_

_Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh, oh,_

_I know that he is gonna be my destiny,_

_It's all a part of cupid's conspiracy,_

_Since ages for him to come my heart has yelled,_

_And how long must i hide him in my heart?_

_My heart will, like the wind, know him when he comes, my love,_

_And he will know me, my love,_

_Somewhere out there i know there is a someone who's waiting just for me, my love,_

_He's gonna set me free, my love,_

_In his eyes will be the search of me, there has to be someone like that, my love,_

_I will wait, my love,_

_I will be the thing that's missing from his life; he will be troubled by it, my love, _

_He will fall for me, my love,_

_In his every breath will be my name, even if he doesn't look it, my love,_

_The loyalest of loyalism, my love,_

_Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh, oh,_

_Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh, oh,_

_Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh, oh,_

_Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah, oh, oh,_

_My love!"_

I finished the song and Airi finished up the beat.

"WOW! That was awesome!" She exclaimed.

"Do you want to be part of our band?" she asked.

"Band?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's just me, Sahara and Sohma right now."

When I heard the name Sohma, I felt really strange. Somehow it reminded me of sport.

"Sohma, wasn't that the name of our sports teacher?" I suddenly asked.

"Oh yeah, his son. His son is way more musical but he rocks at sports too." Airi said. She seemed to know a lot about this Sohma.

"So, what do you guys play?" I asked. Trying to take my mind of Sohma.

"Well I play drums and sometimes base, Sahara plays keyboard and piano and he can play the saxophone, and Sohma can sing but he also plays guitar and heaps of string instruments but especially the violin." Airi explained.

I got that she was using last names for my sake. She would always pause before saying the names. Violin. Sohma. Violin. No! Sohma went with sport. Not the violin. I don't know why I felt something really deep when she talked about the violin. Hmm. It was deep. Not hurt. But something. Like a shock.

I forced myself back into the conversation. I wanted to know Sohma's first name. She wasn't mentioning it. And I didn't want to seem interested in a guy that I'd never met.

"… That your voice will accompany his really well. So do you want to join?" Airi said.

"Um, okay." I said shyly. I hadn't even met these two guys.

Just then, a tall, really good looking guy walked in, he had brown hair, a few shades lighter than Airi's.

He paused when he saw me. "You're the new girl aren't you?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm Fujisaki Amu, nice to meet you," I said, bowing.

"Cool, you don't have to be like that. Fujisaki. I'm Sahara Taki. I guess the only person missing here is…," He glanced at me, "Sohma." He finished.

Even this guy used the other guy's last name. It's like they were purposely trying to keep me from learning his name.

"You know, Taki, she sings SO well! She can be our singer with Sohma." Airi exclaimed. She was SO energetic. I wondered how she could keep it up.

"Hey Mr. My-midnight-blue-hair-is-not-weird-its-just-unique! Are you here yet?!" A guy's voice yelled from outside.

I felt something. A sharp feeling when he mentioned midnight blue hair.

The guy opened the door abruptly. "Is he here?" The guy asked.

This guy wasn't really hard on the eyes either. He wasn't as tall as Sahara though.

"No, Sohma's not here yet and what is with that, Charles?" Sahara said.

"Oh that, well I sent a text saying his hair colour was weird and he sent back saying it was unique." The guy, apparently named Charles said.

"Oh, Fujisaki. Charles, come here and meet the new girl. Her name is Amu Fujisaki. Fujisaki, meet Charles Devon. If you ever need information about anything, students, teachers, school sayings, just go to him. He's got everything."

"Um, hi, it's nice to meet you." I said to Charles.

I turned to Sahara, "You can call me Amu," I said. Japanese formalities shouldn't apply here so it shouldn't mean anything.

"Sure, kid." Sahara said, smiling. His smile was kind of cute.

"Anyway, I'll be off then, Taki, Airi, Amu. Call me if he comes." Charles said.

"Sure Charles." Sahara said.

"The bell's gonna go soon. We'd better get back or we'll be late, Amu." Airi piped up.

"K, bye Airi and Amu." Sahara said.

"Bye Taki!" Airi yelled.

"Goodbye, Sahara." I said.

"Call me Taki." He called back.

"Okay." I said.

"Bye," He waved.

Airi waved too.

They seemed like they liked each other. I had hoped to get a guy at this school. That song I sung earlier fit me perfectly. I was waiting for him and I knew he would come but I was getting impatient. I guess I'll know when it's him. I thought.

Utau's POV

I quickly parked the car and went to the front gate where my sweet son was holding the gate open with an umbrella.

"Ikuto, thank goodness you remembered the umbrella." I said. Wait, he didn't even go to school today!

"Mom, I didn't go to school." He said.

"Whoops." I said. We went inside where my husband was occupying the couch and playing with Pez.

"I just realised, Ikuto, I didn't bring the milk." I said to Ikuto. I always forgot. I'd make it a point to bring him some tomorrow.

"It's okay, mom, I bought it myself, this morning." Ikuto said.

"Well, I'm sorry anyway." I said.

"I knew you'd forget." He said to me.

I looked over to my husband watching TV. And then the counter in the kitchen.

"Kukai! Why didn't you finish your food?! Ikuto made it today!" I yelled, frustrated. My sweet son had to make a meal and my husband didn't even finish.

"I know, that's the only reason I even tried to eat it! I had lunch with a few of the teachers today." Kukai said.

"Well then I'll finish it. Is there more, Ikuto?" I asked.

"Yeah it's in the fridge. I'm gonna go upstairs now." Ikuto announced as he made his way upstairs. I knew how bad it must've been for him to spend three hours with a dog. In this way he was exactly like my brother. He hated dogs and lived like a cat.

A few hours past and Luci came home and went upstairs. She probably spoke to Ikuto because Ikuto came downstairs I was sitting on the couch now and Kukai was sitting in the singular sofa watching sports channels.

Ikuto came and lay down. His head on my lap and the rest of his tall body across the sofa.

"Dad!" He called.

"What? Ikuto can't you see I'm watching a soccer game? It's Italy VS Brazil." Ikuto's father said.

"Mom's getting bored!" Ikuto called. Damn right I was!

"What? Well two minutes." Kukai called intensely interested in his game.

"Dad!" Ikuto shouted.

His dad ignored him. Then he played his old trick.

I saw his smirk. But his face quickly changed to portray innocent son. "Mom, who do you love more? Me or Dad?"

I decided to play the game, "Well let's see, here's you fighting your father because I'm bored and there your father is, not letting me see my favourite channels. Hmm," I didn't finish because Kukai then threw me the remote.

Which would've hit me if Ikuto hadn't caught it first.

"It's a tie!" I said.

"Utau, you know, we haven't done something really fun in quite some time now, right?" Kukai said.

"What's your point?" I asked.

"Let's go have a ramen eating contest." Kukai suggested.

"How about it, Ikuto?" I asked my cute son.

"Nah, it's okay, I'll pass." Even though he was exactly like his parents.

The four of us, we could eat twenty serves of ramen and not gain a single gram (N/A: I know I use the metric system because well I live in Australia) who knew why.

Ikuto lifted his head off my lap and sat up. He realised what his dad was trying to pull. He wanted me all to himself. Ikuto was sweet enough to let him do that.

So we got dressed. Not formally, casually.

"I love you Ikuto; you can order whatever you want! Or make it if you want." I called as we head out.

I loved my son but sometimes I thought he should be a little bit more selfish. When I got home I was going to hug my sweet son.

Rima's POV

"A hundred lives, dun duh dun duh, just for your love, hmm huh hmm." I heard my daughter hum as she vacuumed the living room.

It was an unfamiliar tune. I hadn't heard it before. I don't know where she heard it but ever since she was little she was always humming this.

The first things she said were, "lalalaaa, laaalalalaaa, lalalalaalala, lalalaaa," it was this tune, she got the words from somewhere. Oh, who knew?

Nagi finally came home. "Hi, sweetie, how was your first day of school?" He asked, like a typical parent.

My first words to Amu when she came back were, "Did you make any friends? Did you see guys?"

"It was fine, dad. I met some really nice people." Amu said. I still couldn't get over her striking resemblance to our old friend. Hinamori Amu. Who had died with Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

"You know what, Nagi," I said to my husband, "Today when I went shopping, I saw guy, he was kind, but he looked exactly like Tsukiyomi." I said this when Amu had gone upstairs.

"Really?! Does that mean he's still alive?!" Nagi asked, kind of furious. He was Amu's good friend too, after all.

"NO! He couldn't look exactly the same after twenty-seven years! But he helped me." I said. It was weird after all, I mean, he was a teenage boy.

"Did he say his name?" Nagi asked.

"No, just 'I'm not Tsukiyomi,' when I yelled Tsukiyomi at him." I said.

"That's definitely strange."

* * *

Aireen: And the seventh chapter is over.

Utau: So soon?

Aireen: It was one of the longest chapters I've written till now. Maybe even the longest! Makes up for the last chapter being so short anyway.

Utau: Really?

Aireen: Yes

Utau: So why aren't Amu and Ikuto back here yet?

Aireen: Because they don't remember anything yet.

Kukai: So how many chapters will it be till they remember?

Aireen: I don't know, maybe two, maybe three, maybe five, maybe seven.

Kukai: That's how long we'll take their place?!

Aireen: Well maybe depends on how much I feel like writing.

Utau: So how many chapters do you intend on writing?

Aireen: I dunno, if I was writing like a novelist then maybe 25 chapters. But it purely depends on how much I describe the plotline. Considering the plot I can probably extend for quite a while.

Utau: I think people prefer it to be a shorter fanfic so they can see what happens in the end. Just like what I do.

Kukai: She means that she reads the ending of a book, like the last chapter before she starts it. That way she knows how things are going to turn out.

Aireen: I would hate to do that. Only if the suspense was killing me would I go the end. Or if it was boring enough.

Utau: What do you mean?

Aireen: When I was reading New Moon I skipped all of Jacob's part and scanned until I saw Alice. Then I went a little back to see what happened.

Utau: Yeah, it seems that I lot of girls did.

Aireen: But I loved the movie. It's so hard to decide right?

Utau: Yeah in the book it's all like, Team Edward.

Aireen: Yeah but then in the movie it's all like, Team Jacob.

Kukai: Girls…

Aireen and Utau: WHAT WAS THAT?!

Kukai: Nothing!

Utau: Review please!


	8. Nightmarish realities

Aireen: And now the eighth chapter! Nightmarish realities.

Utau: What do you mean?

Aireen: Someone's going to have a nightmare.

Utau: And…

Aireen: Something really horrible is going to happen.

Utau: You just spoilt it.

Aireen: WHOOPS!

Utau: Was there anything else?

Aireen: Yes, Utau sings in this chapter!

Utau: Cool.

Aireen: I DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA

Utau: stop talking in capital letters

* * *

Utau's POV

So my husband and I went out. We didn't take the car. Instead we walked. And for once I had the realisation of how old we were.

We were forty-two years old. Of course you could mistake us for two thirty-year olds. That's what Ikuto said.

Kukai kept in shape. And me, I guess it's just in my bloodline to look young.

We had our Ramen eating contest. It was a tie. As usual. And it was so much fun.

Kukai and I were walking back when we encountered some really bad people.

We were both pretty good fighters but there were ten of them. And two of us.

They were young, we were not. They were teenagers, and we were in our forties.

Still we fought them.

Ikuto's POV

I lazed around on the couch. The dog was watching TV and playing with his stupid toys.

I went over to the counter. I should make myself something I thought.

Nah, I'll just order. I got out a restaurant flyer from the drawers. It was a Japanese restaurant. I decided to have Japanese food for once. Otherwise we always made western food.

I had the phone in one hand and the flyer in the other when I felt a strange feeling.

Like a cry for help. I felt that my parents were in trouble. It was a strange feeling. Like someone was whacking something against my chest.

I left the phone and the flyer on the couch.

Luci came downstairs. "Hey, Ikuto I think…" She trailed off. She probably felt it too.

"Maddie, we're going out for a bit, take care of the dog." I told our cleaning lady.

She slightly nodded.

We ran out. It was raining. Where were they going?! Right, the Ramen stand.

We ran in the direction of the ramen stand. It was a few blocks away. We sped up. Please let us get there in time. Please let them be alright.

Utau's POV

Kukai and I were fighting as best we could. We were fending them off, back to back.

But how much could we do. Since we started a few more had joined in. They thought it was fun, those bastards.

They had knives. They shot at Kukai with one but he kicked it away.

Please, Kami-sama, send someone to help us. It was nine at night. Who would be out now?

More and more kept joining them and for the first time in twenty-seven years I felt real fear. I felt scared. For my life. For my husband's life.

My heart suddenly felt relief. I didn't know why. We were still in danger. There was even one more charging at us from afar.

They came into the light and I realised that it was Ikuto and Luci.

They fought like ninjas. They took them out in trios. In a flash and before we knew it, twenty bodies were lying unconscious on the ground before us.

The fight seemed to have taken Ikuto and Luci a lot of effort. Because Ikuto fell to the ground. I rushed over to him and when I touched his shoulder, I realised some knives had got him. Luci came over too. She had been hit too.

"Ikuto. Are you alright?!" I worried for my son.

"Oi! Ikuto, talk to me!" Luci commanded. It was plain that she was worried too.

"Kukai, call the ambulance!" I yelled at my husband.

"N-no, Mom, I'm fine." Ikuto stuttered. He wasn't. He wasn't fine!

Kukai helped Ikuto up. He put one of Ikuto's arms around his shoulder and I did the same for the other arm. Kukai also helped Luci with his other arm.

"I'm fine dad," She said, smiling.

"Did you run all the way here?!" I asked Ikuto and Luci.

"Yes," They said, bluntly. My silly son and daughter wouldn't admit it was hurting them. Just like my stupid brother.

It was raining and very dark. We eventually made it home. I treated Luci's and Ikuto's wounds and made them a meal.

"Ikuto, Luci," I said when we got home, "How did you know?" I asked.

"I don't know." They said. They didn't know. "Guess you could call it instinct." Ikuto and Luci smirked.

Everyone said Luci looked just like me. Except for her smirk, it was exactly like my brother's.

The four of us laughed.

Soon, we went to go to sleep.

When we got to our bedroom, Kukai and I spoke. Since we knew Ikuto had enhanced hearing our bedroom and his bedroom were on the far sides. (N/A; I'll describe the house at the end)

"You know while I was cleaning him up in the bath, he actually asked me, who I love more, you or him?" I told my husband.

"Really? What did you say?" Kukai said. He was being so childish.

"You're being childish!" I told him.

"No! What did you say? You know, until they find someone who they love, all boys love their mothers the most."

I laughed. "So if you had to choose, who would you choose your mother or me?"

"Um, well, it's too hard! I don't want to choose. Besides, I'm here with you and she's in Japan." Kukai said. Genuinely ambivalent.

"So how can I choose between you and my son?" I told Kukai.

"Is that what you told Ikuto?" Kukai asked.

"You idiot. How many times have I told you I love you?" I asked Kukai. He was being extremely childish.

"Almost everyday since we fell in love." Kukai answered. Finally.

"Well how long ago was that?" I asked him.

"Twenty-seven years ago." He answered.

"Well, how many times have I told Ikuto I love him?" I asked.

"Each day since he was born," Kukai said.

"And how many years ago was that?" I asked.

Kukai seemed to get the point. "But still what did you say?"

"I told him I love him. Nothing else." I said.

Kukai snuggled next to me in our bed.

Ikuto's POV

_There was smoke. And fire. Blazing everywhere. I couldn't turn anywhere. _

_I was stuck and surrounded by fire. _

_In front of me, beyond the flames. I could see a body. I couldn't see the face. _

_She had pink hair. Her head lolled down. She was unconscious. _

_Suddenly out of nowhere, needles were being thrown at her, cutting her. Giving her deep cuts. _

_Everywhere on her, there was blood. She was like a bloody corpse. For some reason I ran through the fire. _

_I could feel the flames burning into my flesh but I had to save this girl. _

_She was still being scratched. I tried to see where the needles were coming from but I couldn't. Still I tried to defend her. _

_I didn't even know her. Why did I feel like keeping her safe was my responsibility? Why did it hurt so much inside whenever she got another cut?!_

_I yelled for her to wake up. But she wouldn't. I still couldn't see her face._

_Suddenly another body appeared next to this body. She looked a lot like Mom. _

_Same hair, her features were a little less mature. Like a teenage version of my mom. _

_The same thing was happening to her. I tried to protect both of them. _

_Suddenly another body appeared next to Mom's. It was Luci! The exact same thing happened to her!_

_I couldn't stand when another cut appeared in their flesh. On their body. _

_I found the source of the needles. I ran to it and stood in front of it to stop them from going any further. _

_Why was I playing on my life to save them? I understood. One was my mom and another was my sister. The other girl, I didn't even know her._

_The needles exited and I…_

I jolted awake.

Utau's POV

I jolted awake. I felt a strange feeling. And I had the thought that Ikuto was upset or worried.

I shook Kukai, "Wake up! I think Ikuto upset or something. I'm going to check on him."

He groaned but I knew he was awake to understand.

I rushed out. The bad thing about our bedrooms being so far apart is that I didn't know if I could get there in time for him to recollect himself and take in more pain.

I got worried. Call it cliché, call it a mother's instinct, call it whatever you want but I knew there was something wrong.

I burst through Ikuto's door. There I saw that Luci was already there.

His eyes were wide in panic and worry and fear he was sweating; he was breathing fast and heavy breaths. Luci was hugging him.

I rushed to his side and hugged him too.

"Ikuto, what's wrong?" I asked quietly. Even though I knew I wasn't about to get an answer.

Ikuto hugged me harder. His head was buried on my left shoulder and his arm was around Luci, tightening.

I held him like that for a long, long time.

It was a nightmare. He used to have them all the time when he was younger and this is exactly what he would do.

He would hold onto me and Luci like we would disappear. But he wouldn't say a word. So I didn't know what his nightmares were about. But I recognized signs of them.

I didn't know what set it off. He hadn't had one for years. Before, whenever Kukai or I or Luci couldn't be there to tuck him in or sing him to sleep he would have a nightmare.

But that had worn off when he was ten years old.

After what seemed like hours, Ikuto finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, Mom, Sis." He said.

"Why?" Luci and I asked.

"Because I woke you up this late." He said.

"You didn't. I was awake." Luci said straight. He was being irrational.

"I did, because of me you troubled yourself into coming here this late. I'm sorry, Mom, Luci, I promise it won't happen again." Ikuto said, genuinely sorry.

"Shut up!" I whispered sternly.

"Huh?" Ikuto didn't get it.

"You are my son! That means that I have the right to trouble myself over you. It's my prerogative to worry about you as much as I want to!" I said.

"MINE TOO!" Luci said.

Ikuto became quiet.

"Because we love you. Ikuto." I said to him.

Ikuto thought silently for a moment. "Mom, Sis, sing for me, please." Ikuto said moving his head to my lap.

I laughed quietly. "Okay."

I knew which lullaby he loved. He would listen to it all the time when he was little. I would sing myself hoarse, singing it to him.

He knew all the words and the tune by the time he was five years old.

Luci had gotten my voice too, we sounded almost exactly the same.

"_Why are the locks of your hair so messy?_

_Why do your eyes seem so lost?_

_These moments of sadness shall pass._

_Then in someone you'll find happiness,_

_Why are the locks of your hair so messy?_

_Why do your eyes seem so lost?_

_These moments of sadness shall pass._

_Then in someone you'll find happiness,"_

Kukai played the flute, the musical bit in between these verses.

"_Forget the passed moments,_

_Those moments aren't anywhere,_

_The new moments shall bring,_

_A new and happy life,_

_So close those heavy eyelids,_

_And smile while thinking,_

_That time will bring,_

_A better era again for you,_

_The wind will again blow freely,_

_The flowers will again blossom,_

_And in someone you'll find happiness,_

_And your heart will once again sing,"_

I heard Kukai come in and settle himself on the other side of the bed. He sung the next part. He wasn't a bad singer.

"_Even if the night is long,_

_It still is only a night,_

_It will become day,_

_Of a hundred truths it's one,_

_Then the world will wake up,_

_And the path of your heart,_

_Shall take you forward,_

_To where your destination is,"_

We sung together.

"_The truth is that this is to happen,_

_So why are there tears in these eyes?_

_Don't you worry when darkness falls?_

_Because these new things shall bring a new life,"_

Ikuto had fallen asleep on my lap. Just like he used to when he was younger.

Kukai and I carefully moved Ikuto back into a comfortable sleeping position and place the quilt gently over him.

Ikuto looked so adorable when he slept. So helpless. So harmless. So… CUTE!

I smiled as Kukai, Luci and I left his dark room.

* * *

_Description of the house:_

_When you open the front door, the first thing you see is the big AZ staircase that leads upstairs. In the right corner is the kitchen, no walls. On the left wall there is a really big TV. (You know, wall TV's widescreen, really big. Covers the whole wall.)_

_Facing the TV is three couches. One for three people, in front, from where we're looking it's not facing us, more diagonally facing the TV. The two person sofa is on the other side, also diagonally facing the TV. The single person sofa is in the middle. And in the middle of all those is a coffee table. With two racks._

_Now their house is really big so it doesn't look out of place. On the right wall there are two doors. One's the bathroom and one's the laundry room. On the door side wall there are two HUGE windows. With dark burgundy coloured curtains which are open in the daytime. You can see from the door that the staircase leads up, and once you get up, in front of you is a door, with more stairs inside that lead up to the flat roof._

_Right and left of you has passageways. Or paths. Whatever. With railing on one side and walls on the other. There are five doors on either side. It's in a mirror image. There's first of all the study, then the bedrooms that are empty, then the bathrooms and then the bedroom Luci stays in and on the other side, the bedroom that has all the musical instruments and then the bedrooms that Ikuto and Utau and Kukai stay in._

_The paths are sort of narrow. Like maybe a maximum of three Ikuto's could walk side by side along it. So you can kind of see the doors from the bottom floor. And the path goes all the way around but when you get to the door's side, the path becomes way more narrow, like only one Ikuto can walk across it. On that side is more glass. Like a wall made of glass._

_There a glass door that leads out to the veranda there. Out on the veranda is a circular table with three chairs. Back at the staircase. Behind the staircase, you can see it from the kitchen is a door (Kind of like in Harry Potter, where Harry stays in the cupboard under the staircase). If you go in that door there is a corridor. That corridor leads out into the backyard and another little room. _

* * *

Aireen: The end of my eighth chapter!

Utau: Was there even a point to this chapter?!

Aireen: No, not really,

Utau: Then why did you write it?

Aireen: I had a dream like that so I decided to put it into words!

Utau: And why is Ikuto so baby-ish?

Aireen: Baby-ish?! No! He's just really close to his parents. I kind of wanted to make the point that Ikuto loves his parents a lot because in his past life, he wasn't able to. Because his dad left and he was always bound to Easter. Kind of like that. I guess I over-exaggerated that bit. Anyways, if you saw your Mother die in your dreams, you'd hug her too, wouldn't you?

Utau: I guess.

Aireen: Shouldn't you be happy? I mean, before you were all, I want Ikuto's love! And now you're just, oh yeah, who cares.

Utau: No, I love him, but it's just weird coz he's my son in this. I mean. Weird of all weirdness.

Aireen: Yeah I know, Ikuto did say that the reincarnation thing was weird. But I wanted something different from other fanfics. Something original. And this is what I thought up.

Utau: This?

Aireen: Well I originally wanted Amu to forget everything and Ikuto help her get it back but that's too used.

Utau: True.

Aireen: REVIEW PLEASE!

Utau: Can I try that?

Aireen: You're the first one to ask.

Utau: COOL!


	9. Natsuko and Kyouhei

Aireen: I'm back with my ninth chapter!

Utau: YES YOU ARE

Aireen: Seriously, that's getting old.

Utau: Oh, okay,

Aireen: YEAH,

Utau: Hey!

Aireen: Sorry,

Utau: Anyway, how is the main story plot coming along?

Aireen: I'm almost there.

Utau: You're such a bad liar.

Aireen: NO, really,

Utau: Stop it, and… let's just get on with the story.

Aireen: Okay.

Utau: Aireen does NOT own Shugo Chara in any way!

Aireen: Now read and review!

* * *

Ikuto's POV

I woke up to my alarm. Stupid alarm! I looked around my room. I felt strangely tired. But I had had a good rest last night.

I got up and crept out to the bathroom. I washed up, and had a shower and almost got dressed when I realised that I didn't want to go to school today.

I crept into Luci's room. Her room was really strangely arranged. Especially her walls. Her walls were hand painted by herself and she'd done a very strange design. It was bright pink on midnight blue.

Anyway, her walls matched her curtains. Her bed was almost right next to the window. It had a bedside table there. Her dressing table was at the foot of her huge bed. Though it was pushed back to the wall.

She had two wardrobes, one of which were walk in, next to her bed. On the other side. She also had two shelves filled up with books on the other side. Her wooden floor had also been painted on. The same design that took up her walls.

Personally I thought, hats off to her choices, bright pink and midnight blue were the most colours-that-go-together-ish colours. At least that's what I thought.

My sister was sleeping soundly on her enormous bed. She didn't have school today. And I wanted to stay home.

"Oi! Luci! Wake up!" I whispered/shouted into her ear. Luci grumbled, she groaned, and she turned. But she didn't wake up.

I walked out to the bathroom, it was only five-thirty am. No one else would be awake now.

I filled a little bucket with water. Freezing, cold, water. I went downstairs and got a few ice cubes. I put them in the bucket too.

I walked back to Luci's room. I grabbed a handful of water and sprinkled it on her face. She cringed her eyes, groaned, but didn't wake up.

I grabbed her hand and put it in the water. I left it and started to count mentally.

… 3, 2, 1…

"IKUTO!" She yelled. "Ouch!" She jerked her hand out of the bucket. She tried to get the feeling back into it by flexing the muscles.

"Luci, I need your help." I told her.

Luci yawned. "Wait." She said bluntly.

She grabbed her clothes and towel. She didn't feel any shame grabbing her bras and panties in front of me. It wasn't much to see though, she wore sports bras. She had really big ones though. Like size 10D.

It's not like I'm perving on my sister, I just know a lot, since she can't be bothered trying to hide them in front of me.

Luci had a shower, and got dressed in casual clothes. She was wearing a plain blue top from Pink Sugar and a knee length pink skirt.

"Okay, Ikuto, what did you need me for that you had to wake me up at five thirty in the morning?" She asked me. Her tone screamed pissed.

"Well, I wanna stay home from school today." I said.

"Again, didn't you stay home yesterday?" She asked.

"Yes, well, I want to stay home again." I said.

"Why?" Luci asked.

"Because, well, you see, I just do." I said.

"Who's your teacher?" Luci asked. She was instigating a reason.

"Fujiko! I can't face Fujiko today!" I said, relieved that I had found a reason.

"Fujiko, hmm. I see, well then, I guess you'll be keeping me company. Did you buy milk yesterday?" Luci changed the topic as soon as she decided that I could stay.

"Yes," I said. Luci, like me, liked to drink milk a lot. I left out the part how I drank it all last night, though.

"Well then, what do I do for the next half hour that mom and dad don't wake up? You know I only wake up once in a day."

"We could… watch… something?" I suggested.

Luci got out her phone. She dialled someone's number. Who could be awake now?

"Hello? Hi, Ojiichan, it's Luci," Luci said in Japanese. She was calling grandpa. Right, it was afternoon in Japan.

Luci put it on speakerphone.

"Oh, Luci you sound just like Utau. I could hardly tell it was you." Grandpa Aruto Tsukiyomi said. Tsukiyomi! Right, that was my mother's maiden name.

"Well, mom's sleeping right now, but Ikuto's here." Luci said.

"Hi, grandpa." I said.

"Ikuto! You sound just like my son did. His name was Ikuto too." He said.

"Yeah, I know." I said.

"Anyway, Ojiichan, how are you all?" Luci asked.

"Fine, how about you guys?" Grandpa asked.

"We're fine too. Is Obaachan there?" Luci asked.

"Yes, she is. I'll just give her the phone." Grandpa said.

"Hello, Luci?" Grandma Souko Tsukiyomi answered.

"Yes, hello, Obaachan, it's me, Luci," Luci said.

"My, you do sound like Utau, Luci. Is Ikuto there as well? I would like to hear his voice too."

"Yes, Grandma, I'm here." I said.

"You DO sound so much like your uncle used to. Anyway, it's nice to see SOME people speaking Japanese, huh, Luci?"

I was speaking in French. They could understand French as well as Japanese. But Luci preferred to speak to them in Japanese.

"Sorry, Obaachan," I said, in Japanese.

It seemed that Grandpa took the phone again.

"Well, we'll have to go now; I have work, but have a nice day, kids and tell your parents to call sometime too."

"Bye-bye," We said.

"Goodbye." Grandma and Grandpa said.

Luci tapped END on her phone.

It was six AM. Mom and Dad should be up soon.

For some reason, my head hurt like a –

"Ikuto, are you okay? You seem a little warm." Luci asked suspiciously.

"I'm fine, sis," I said to her, lying. I bet she'll catch me. She's good at that.

Luci put a hand to my forehead.

"Hey! You're hot! Let me get the thermometer." Luci said as she jumped off her bed.

She must've seen the smirk getting ready on my face because she immediately turned back around to say,

"NO! Not in that way! You're burning up. You have a fever. Wait here." Luci said sternly.

She walked out.

Maybe she was right. I shouldn't have showered in cold water this morning. I felt dizzy.

Luci's POV

Stupid little brother. For one thing he can't lie to me.

For another thing, he's so damn perverted it's not funny!

I ran to the bathrooms and grabbed the thermometer and filled a little container with warm water and a small towel.

I ran back to my room. I looked on my bed, where Ikuto was UNCONSCIOUS!

Well, it was good that he was asleep.

I took his temperature which was 39 degrees Celsius.

Okay, fever was confirmed.

I dragged him further onto the bed. I covered him with the quilt and put the wet towel on his forehead.

I left him there to get some medicine. I again ran down to the kitchen and grabbed the medicine and a glass of water.

This time, when I got back, Ikuto was sitting up again.

"STUPID! Lay down!" I yelled. Our parents couldn't hear us, since we were on the other side of the house.

Ikuto obediently lay down again. I put the wet cloth on his forehead again.

"Listen, you have to lie down like this while I get you something to eat. What do you want?"

Ikuto looked like he was in a really bad condition.

"Nothing, I'm not hungry." Ikuto said. Just like all sick people.

"Well too bad you need food." I said. I was being harsh but it was required in situations like these.

"I don't want any!" Ikuto protested like a little baby.

"Okay then. I'm going downstairs to make myself something." I said to Ikuto.

I went downstairs. It was a little unnerving leaving him by himself. There was no telling what he would do.

I opened the fridge to get two eggs. I poached the two eggs and toasted two pieces of bread which I buttered. I also fried three sausages. I put them on two plates. The toast on one and the eggs and sausages on the other.

I paused before going upstairs to see if I'd forgotten something. It was an awkward feeling.

Since I couldn't remember what I'd forgotten I just left it and went upstairs.

Ikuto, for once, hadn't moved from the spot. Or had he?

"Is that for me because I don't want it?" Ikuto asked.

"No, this is all for me." I said. MWAHAHAHA evil laugh.

I pulled up a chair with my foot and sat down.

Ikuto had a questioning look in his eyes. "Luci-nee, why are you sitting next to me and eating?' he asked suspiciously.

"No reason, apart from the fact that it's my room." Like Ikuto didn't know. I didn't eat this much. I wasn't a growing boy. HINT. HINT.

"Ikuto, can you sit up, I don't like eating in front of people who are lying down?" I asked Ikuto.

He sat up.

I grabbed the fork and slit off a piece of the egg. "Are you going to go quietly or will I have to prepare for battle?" I asked Ikuto.

"No!" Ikuto said. He turned his head.

I lifted the fork with the egg. I tossed the piece up. Then I hit it toward Ikuto.

"Ikuto." I said straight.

Ikuto turned his head; his mouth was open pronouncing what as the egg flew in there.

"I win. Now you have to eat." I said.

It was one of our little battles. If Ikuto had avoided my egg piece, then he wouldn't have to eat. But since I won. He had to eat.

I fed Ikuto his breakfast. A growing kid sure ate a lot.

But when he was sick, Ikuto hated eating.

He turned his head after one egg, two sausages and one piece of toast.

"You have to finish. I won." I said to him.

"Yeah, but I'm sick," Ikuto said.

"So? Doesn't change a thing," I said to him.

I fed Ikuto the rest of the food and also gave him the medicine.

"Sis?" Ikuto said from my room.

I was just finishing washing the dishes, "Yeah," I called from downstairs.

Ikuto had enhanced hearing. Strangely. Like a cat.

"Come," Ikuto said. I could barely hear him. He must've been almost shouting.

He must be tired of it already.

I went upstairs.

"What?" I asked him.

"I'm tired." He said.

I chuckled. "So? Go to sleep." I said to him.

"Play something for me." Ikuto said.

"Okay." I went to our musical instrument room. I grabbed a wooden flute and went back to my room.

I played the music of his favourite lullaby.

"That's nice, but sing." He pressed.

"Why?" I asked.

"Not that song, then, sing your one." Ikuto said. My one. Oh, he meant…

I smiled and went back to the music room to put back the flute and get the violin.

I got back to my room to see Ikuto's eyes were sparkling.

"Close your eyes." I commanded. I was older sister. It was about time I started throwing my weight around.

He complied with my demand. Not like he had a choice.

I cleared my throat and started playing.

"Sing," Ikuto said.

"I will." I whisper-shouted.

"_Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm_

_You're a little mischievous,_

_You're a little naive,_

_You're a little mischievous,_

_You're a little naive,_

_Yes, but it is still true,_

_You are my life,_

_You're a little mischievous,_

_You're a little naive,_

_Yes, but it is still true,_

_You are my life,_

_Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmm_

_You are the sound in my breaths,_

_You are my sixteen types of beauty,_

_You are the elastance of my eyes,_

_My belief, my strength, my trust are all you,_

_You're a little untrustworthy,_

_You're a little bit of a devil,_

_You're a little untrustworthy,_

_You're a little bit of a devil,_

_But it is still true, _

_You are my world,_

_Little hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm_

_Hhmmmmm you are naive,_

_Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmm_

_Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmm_

_Hmmmmmm yes you are,"_

I opened my eyes to see Ikuto fast asleep in my bed. Little? Little brother, maybe.

That was one of the songs that mom used to sing to me. Ikuto liked the other one better. But I loved this one.

I went out of my room and quietly closed the door. Mom was up. I could hear her.

I leaned over the golden railing and looked down. Maddie had started getting to work as well.

I went downstairs. It hadn't been too long since I cooked Ikuto's breakfast.

"Miss, why is the stove warm?" Maddie asked politely.

"Oh, I made breakfast for Ikuto." I said.

"You could've told me, Miss, I would have been up in a jiffy." She said.

"No, that's okay, Maddie, I just wanted to." I said to end her protests.

Dad came downstairs. All drowsy. And sleepy.

I went to the television and turned it on. To news. Dad always watched news when he woke up.

I went to the couch, to where mom had left her hair ties. Her favourite purple ones that dad gave her as a gift when they were younger. Or so she told me.

"Thanks, Luci," Dad said. He yawned and sat at the singular sofa.

Mom stuck her head out of her room, she was almost all ready.

"Luci! Where are-," Mom started.

I went up the stairs and handed her the hair ties.

"Here." I said.

"Thankyou, sweetie." Mom said as she went back into her room.

I went down to the laundry room and grabbed dad's towel before he could call for it.

Dad's voice was loud, he would wake Ikuto!

"Dad, here,"

I threw it to him and he caught it without looking.

"Thanks." He said, turning to me.

I made more breakfast for dad and mom and set it on the table.

"Where's Ikuto?" Dad asked when he saw that Ikuto wasn't there.

"Um, Mom, Dad, Ikuto's sick." I said.

"SICK?!" Mom yelped.

"Mom! You'll wake him; I've just put him to sleep. He has a high fever."

"Utau, it's a fever, he'll be alright. He always has." Dad tried to settle my mom.

"Yeah, and it's alright, I don't have school today. Captain's Day off. I'm here to take care of him, mom." I said to her to try and ease her tension.

"But, you're only a year older; you shouldn't have to look after him." Mom protested.

"Mom, you have a big contract today and I don't want you to lose it. We'll be fine, mom. Don't you trust me?" I asked, playing kitty eyes.

"Oh, okay! But just be… okay." Mom said. She was still worried.

Mom had just walked out the door when she realised she forgot her car keys. I took them to the front door, waiting.

"Thanks, Luci. For everything, I know it's a big job." Mom said to me.

"Love you, Mom, bye!" I yelled as mom left in her car.

"I love you too, Luci. Take care of Ikuto for me." Mom yelled back.

I went out to the front gate and watched her leave out of the street before I went back in.

Usually I was out before her but it was a habit from way back when I didn't.

Dad had already left too. He left the TV on. I went to it and switched it off.

I ran upstairs to check on Ikuto. He was sleeping soundly. Like a cat.

But then I heard a noise. From Ikuto's room.

I went in and saw his phone going off wildly. Messages after messages. Thank God my phone was on silent.

I picked up his phone. From Taki, huh?

Ikuto; Dude! Airi asked the new girl to join our band. Why aren't you here today? There's music today too! If you are coming, hurry, you'll see her at lunch. Taki.

I know it's a kind of overprotective sister type of thing, looking through his messages but sometimes I got too curious.

I went to my room really quietly. I picked up my phone and sent a text to Taki.

Taki; Ikuto's sick and he's getting a billion messages. Tell his other friends to stop sending him stuff. He's asleep! Oh and the new girl, Amu, she's in your band? Typical Airi. But seriously, stop send texts to Ikuto and tell the others to also. Luci.

Now, that's done, Ikuto wouldn't be bothered by more stupid messages.

Was Ikuto really interested in the new girl? He could've asked, I thought. But he didn't. Hmm. I would take it up with him when he got better.

I went downstairs again and looked in the refrigerator, and we were out of milk. Again. Ikuto probably drank all of it last night. I needed to get more milk for home. But I couldn't go out.

I dropped myself on a couch in front of the TV and got my phone out of my pocket again. I scrolled down my contacts until I found his number.

He picked up immediately.

"Yes, Natsu," He called me by my real Japanese name which no one called me by, not even my parents. It's actually Natsuko but we were pretty close.

"Listen, I need a favour." I said.

"Anything." He answered.

"Okay, well, I need you to get me some milk and bring it to my house. I'll pay you then. Okay?"

"Sure." He hung up. So obedient. It sure was nice to have a friend like him.

I waited. Not for long. In about ten minutes I heard the doorbell.

Maddie answered it and I walked out to the top of the stairs and saw him enter. A very tall boy, maybe eighteen, with gorgeous blond hair, and the body of a story character warrior, lean but strong, his face was set in a grin with his imperfect teeth and cute dimple. His golden eyes were sparkling under his dark, long, eyelashes.

"It's Master Kyouhei, Miss Luci," Maddie said to me when I appeared on the stairs.

"I know, I called him here, Maddie," I said to her.

He was wearing a blue hoodie with dark blue jeans. And he was soaking wet.

I already had the towel in my hand and walked up to him.

"Hi." He said.

"Hi," I answered.

We were being so formal. Maddie went back to her chores and we burst into laughter.

"Sorry," I said, "you're all wet and cold."

He held up the milk and said as I took it from him, "Well then, you'd better nurse me back to full health then, right?"

"That's a spare one, you can use it," I said as I exchanged the towel for the milk.

I put the milk away and turned back to see him still dripping on my front doorstep.

"God! Come in!" I yelled. He did.

I dragged him upstairs. He tried to dry his hair with the towel.

"You're not doing it right!" I exclaimed.

"You do it for me, then." He said.

"Wait here." I led him to a spare room. It had a bed and a table and chair and a closet and bedside table.

I went to Ikuto's room and grabbed some of his clothes. Ikuto and Kyo were about the same size, Ikuto's clothes would fit him. Even if Kyo was taller.

I went back to the spare room and threw Ikuto's clothes on the bed. I went to Kyo and pulled his hoodie and shirt off him at the same time. He shoved the towel towards me in a childish way and I dried him.

"Do the rest yourself." I said to him, indicating his bottom half.

He chuckled and took the towel back from me.

I walked out and shut the door. I went back to my room. He was still sleeping. I smiled. Ikuto would probably sleep until noon. And by then, his fever would be better.

I went back to the spare room.

Kyo came out just as I was about to go in and I bumped into him and fell back.

"Ouch!" I gasped as I hit the carpeted floor.

"Sorry." He smirked as he pulled me up to him. And closer. And closer. Until our bodies were touching.

My face was forced into his shoulder. I lifted my head to look at him. My back arched.

Our faces were really close.

Kyo's lips were less than a millimetre away from my cheek.

It felt wonderful. Like I was in seventh heaven.

"You could tell me to stop." He said as he brushed his lips along my jaw. It was electric. A spark. Electrifying all the distance and leaving a burning mark where his lips touched.

"Now," his lips had travelled back up to my cheek, "Or now," they moved slowly to my lips, "Or now,"

"Okay." I said. And I felt him smile against my lips. And then he pulled back.

"You haven't eaten breakfast yet." He stated. How could he tell?

"How can you tell? Do I have it written on my forehead? And for that matter, neither have you." I jabbed back at him.

"So? Let's eat." He smirked.

"You know, cake for breakfast is really bad for your health."

"Yeah? Well you're too thin. You should put on something. You're freezing." Kyo said suddenly.

"Okay then." I left him to make something while I crept into my room and took my white jumper and pulled it over my head. I went to the underwear drawer and pulled out my old tights.

I wore them under the skirt.

I walked back downstairs.

Kyo was covered in flour and bits of sugar and dough were all over him.

I burst into uncontrollable laughter and kneeled beside him.

"Messy chef, huh?" I enquired.

"Well, all world-class chefs love to get covered in their creations." Kyo smirked.

I giggled and pulled him up with me. I helped him and he helped me. To cook. A cake. From a book that I'd never used before.

It was very elegant and it looked exactly like the one in the book had. Except that we were now both covered in flour and sugar and dough.

"It's raining outside, right?" I asked him.

He got it. He and I went out to the backyard and played around in the rain, chasing each other and pushing each other into the pool.

Ikuto's POV

I woke up. I felt way better than before. The wet cloth on my forehead was warm, which meant someone replaced it recently.

I looked around. I was still in Luci's room. I could hear her, she was outside, with someone. I couldn't tell who from here.

I looked around. On Luci's bedside table was food for me. I felt really hungry. Really, really hungry. I gulfed it down in about two minutes.

I set the plate down on her bedside table again. There was a dual photo frame. There were two pictures. One was with our whole family. Grandpa, Grandma, Mum, Dad, me, and Luci. The other one was Luci-nee with Kyouhei-nii. They were twelve and going to high school for the first time. They were both in their school uniforms. And they were laughing. Luci was like that whenever she was with him.

There was something sticking out of that photo frame. I pulled it out. It was a card.

Written in Japanese.

_What i had never thought or dreamt of,_

_You gave me that much love,_

_Whenever, wherever, i was in burning sun,_

_Your tresses always shaded me,_

_What i had never thought or dreamt of,_

_You gave me that much love,_

_Whenever, wherever, i was in burning sun,_

_Your tresses always shaded me,_

_Yes, you are, _

_Yes, you are,_

_You are in my words,_

_You are in my dreams,_

_In my memories,_

_In my intentions,_

_Yes, you are, _

_Yes, you are,_

_You are in my words,_

_You are in my dreams,_

_In my memories,_

_In my intentions,_

_You're in my intentions,_

_Yeah, we could fall in love,_

_I say i could fall in love with you,_

_Yeah, we could fall in love,_

_And i say i could fall in love with you,_

_There is never such a moment,_

_That you are not inside me,_

_I may fall asleep in the nights but,_

_You in my heart don't sleep,_

_You in my heart don't sleep,_

_Yes, you are, _

_Yes, you are,_

_You are in my words,_

_You are in my dreams,_

_In my memories,_

_In my intentions,_

_Yes, you are, _

_Yes, you are,_

_You are in my words,_

_You are in my dreams,_

_In my memories,_

_In my intentions,_

_You're in my intentions,_

_You have gotten your satisfaction,_

_Because the laughter has awoken on my lips,_

_Nothing in the world will be able to hide,_

_The ecstasy of now having you,_

_The ecstasy of now having you,_

_Yes, you are, _

_Yes, you are,_

_You are in my words,_

_You are in my dreams,_

_In my memories,_

_In my intentions,_

_What i had never thought or dreamt of,_

_You gave me that much love,_

_Whenever, wherever, i was in burning sun,_

_Your tresses always shaded me,_

_Yes, you are, _

_Yes, you are,_

_You are in my words,_

_You are in my dreams,_

_In my memories,_

_In my intentions,_

_Yes, you are, _

_Yes, you are,_

_You are in my words,_

_You are in my dreams,_

_In my memories,_

_In my intentions,_

_You're in my intentions,_

It didn't say who it was from and my sister got confession letters all the time. I turned it back to the front. Natsu-ko. It was addressed to Natsuko. That means…

It's from Kyouhei-nii.

Kyouhei-nii was the only one that I knew that called Luci-nee Natsuko.

I found another card in the photo slot. This seemed from earlier.

It was also written in Japanese.

_Girl, do you still think of me as only a friend?_

_Have you ever thought of me as a little more than a friend?_

_Girl, do you still think of me as only a friend?_

_Have you ever thought of me as a little more than a friend?_

_Or should i think that you have not recognised me like that at all?_

It was also from Kyouhei-nii.

The rest were too. And then there was the red one. A Valentine's Day card.

It was written in French.

_One moment going away,_

_One moment returning,_

_One moment running back,_

_In another forward,_

_One moment you sleep in,_

_One moment you waken,_

_One moment you are calm,_

_One moment you rage,_

_One moment you move it away,_

_Then you bring it back again,_

_One of your moments like these, _

_Is worth a million, oh,_

_One moment you walk in wetlands,_

_One moment you walk in deserts,_

_One moment you are daring,_

_Then afraid again,_

_One moment you don't get it,_

_One moment you understand,_

_One moment you lose something,_

_One moment you find it,_

_One moment you sent it away,_

_Then you keep it with you again,_

_One of your moments like these,_

_Is worth a million, oh,_

_Just like the sky changes,_

_The colours of day and night,_

_Just like that the news of your mind,_

_Can't be known even from close,_

_Just like the sky changes,_

_The colours of day and night,_

_Just like that the news of your mind,_

_Can't be known even from close,_

_One moment your mood is horrid,_

_Then again is great,_

_One moment you are so supportive,_

_Then again so devilish, oh,_

_One moment you like it,_

_One moment you don't,_

_One moment you are shy,_

_And the next your shameless,_

_One moment you dream of it,_

_One moment you break it,_

_One moment it's black and white,_

_And the next its coloured,_

_One moment you throw it away,_

_Then call it back again,_

_In one of your moments like these,_

_Is worth a million, oh,_

_In one of your moments like these,_

_Is worth a million, oh,_

_In one of your moments like these,_

_Is worth a million, oh,_

He was definitely a poet, I thought as I put the cards back one by one. Luci would be furious to know that I'd touched her stuff. I recognized these lyrics. They were one of Luci's first high school songs.

With Kyouhei-nii on the guitar. They had sung it so awesomely together.

I was still in primary and I went with mum and dad to watch her perform in the contest. Everyone else had performed really techno and rock songs while this one was slower and more content.

They won. I looked to Luci's shelf. She kept that trophy on her highest shelf. And she polished it every night before she went to bed.

Kyouhei-nii and Luci-nee was the perfect match.

I wondered if I would ever find my perfect match. The piece that fit together with me.

Suddenly the bright pink hair flashed into my mind.

I blinked. Twice. I shook my head. What the hell was I just thinking?

I went outside of Luci's room and saw her come up the stairs.

As soon as she saw me, she was instantly alert and focused.

"Oi! Ikuto! Why are you out of bed?!" She yelled as she ran to me.

I turned my head to the big clock on the wall. She looked as well.

She calmed down and her body relaxed.

"Sorry, I forgot about the time. There's cake downstairs if you want it." Luci said.

She was soaking wet. She was probably going to have a shower again and change.

"Okay, was Kyouhei-nii here?" I asked shifting my eyes towards the kitchen bench top. She couldn't be bothered to usually make a cake this extravagant unless Kyouhei-nii did it and made her help him.

"Yeah," Luci-nee answered as she hurried to her room.

I mentally counted as I walked down the stairs.

…3, 2, 1…

"IKUTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU WERE TOUCHING MY PHOTO FRAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Luci-nee yelled. Really, really, really loud.

I clapped my hands over my eyes to even make out what she was saying.

Maddie ran up. "What's wrong, Miss?" She asked when she went in.

"Oh, nothing, Maddie. I was speaking to Ikuto." Luci was probably smiling now. Trying immensely hard to cover up her fury.

That song was definitely right about her. One moment calm, one moment rage.

I ran downstairs and went to the kitchen.

There it was a very rich cake.

I took a piece and ate it. It tasted wonderful. Better than what mum could make.

I closed my eyes as a savoured the sweet taste.

Cake after being sick was just what I needed.

Luci-nee had changed and was furiously heading downstairs.

"IKUTO!" She yelled.

"Luci-nee, it's great!" I said reminding her of the cake as I shoved it in her face.

She sniffed it. Lifted her finger and tasted some of the icing off it.

"It is good, isn't it?" she was reminded of her wonderful time with Kyouhei-nii.

"Yup. You should let him have some." I said to her.

"I'll take it over, you should be right by yourself right?" Luci-nee asked sweetly. Kyouhei-nii's house was not very far. It was down maybe one or two blocks.

"Sure, sis, is there milk at home?" I asked her. She probably knew by now that I'd finished all the milk at home.

"Well, that's exactly why Kyo came here in the first place. It's in the fridge. Bye now," Luci-nee said.

"Yeah, bye," I answered as she walked out the door with a piece of the cake and a raincoat.

* * *

Aireen: The end of the ninth chapter!

Utau: Yes it is.

Aireen: You know, this chapter was fairly long.

Utau: Is that why it took you SO long to update?

Aireen: Look, I have school and tutor and Sunday school homework. Tell me where my time is.

Utau: Excuses. Did this chapter have a point?

Aireen: Look, I'm getting to the plot. It's just a side story. Like Kutau or Rimahiko. I decided to make my own little thing.

Utau: Yeah but you're slipping away from the main pair. AMUTO!

Aireen: I know. Well, I'm getting to it. Ikuto couldn't go to school today because he's supposed to meet her.

Utau: Really, so next chapter they're gonna meet?

Aireen: I hope so. As long as I don't get distracted.

Utau: Yeah, like that'll ever happen.

Aireen: I'll try to make it a quicker update this time. SO SORRY!

Utau: Review please.


	10. Inspiring Lyrics

Aireen: So !!!!!!!!!!!!! I now have updated my tenth chapter! A decade! (TEN CHAPTERS)

Utau: Yes, it is. What a shame Amu and Ikuto can't join us for this lovely occasion.

Aireen: They'll be here for the twenty! If we ever get that far.

Utau: Hows it going?

Aireen: Well by the state of my plotline, I think that we'll probably be done in fifty chapters!

Utau: No one wants to read stories that are THAT long. They'll give up trying to get it. You're so weird.

Aireen: Let's continue this argument after the chapter.

Utau: Fine. Aireen does not own SHUGO CHARA

* * *

Ikuto's POV

Now that Luci-nee has got her mind of killing me, I wondered what I would do.

I decided to drink some more milk. And walked over to the fridge to get some out. Opening the fridge sent a cold blast right into my face. I grabbed the bottle of milk quickly and shut it. It was clear that Kyouhei-nii had brought it. He always went to a different convenience store. And he brought extra, extra large bottles.

Suddenly I was very bored. I had nothing to do. I went upstairs and checked my texts. I didn't remember getting so many messages from Taki. 3 were unread and I had 59. Last I checked I had 55. That means…

Luci checked the messages. It's the only possible conclusion I could go to. Taki texts during boring classes. Which is… all of our classes for him. Mom would have been at work and Dad would also have been at work. Maddie does NOT touch our phones without our permission.

Luci probably heard it going off and checked it. I looked at the fourth most recent text.

Ikuto; Dude! Airi asked the new girl to join our band. Why aren't you here today? There's music today too! If you are coming, hurry, you'll see her at lunch. Taki.

The new girl's in our band, huh? That means I would see more of her than I thought. Still I had to meet her. I guessed that Luci-nee probably answered. I went up to the next one.

Ikuto; It's not often you get sick, u alright? Taki.

Not really a point in answering this late but…

Taki; I'm fine, dude, just a little cold. Had a cold shower this morning is all. Ikuto

I yawned. Strange to feel tired after I slept for the whole night AND all of the morning. I went to the next text.

Ikuto; Its recess and that girl and Airi ran off to the music room already. Oh her name is Fujisaki. Just thought maybe you wanted to know. I heard her for a bit, she's not bad. Wondering if she can beat you. Taki

Beat me?! No way! She couldn't have been that good. I already knew her last name. I would've thought at least Taki might send me her first name.

Taki; she wouldn't be able to beat me unless she was BETTER than world class. Which I doubt she is. And I am. So suck. Ikuto.

I went to the final message.

Ikuto; you know what, don't bother coming at lunch unless you wanna have a game. Fujisaki's been sent home. Airi sent a text a few minutes ago and she said that Fujisaki went home coz she hit her head on the bar when they were doing gymnastics in PE. So come for a game if you want but the new gals out of access. Taki.

Hit her head on the bar in gymnastics? She seemed to be a klutz. Maybe she wasn't as awesome as I thought she was.

Taki; So I'm not coming. But is this gal a really big klutz? Like she trips over grass type? Coz that's not hot. That's cute. And you clearly told me that the new gal was pretty hot. So I'm holding you to that Taki. Ikuto

By this time Taki had already sent an answer to my first and second text back.

Ikuto; that's cool then. That u r ok. Bet Luci gave ya a beating for that. Oh and have you heard that she just happens to be the Italian idol at our school? Yeah that's right. She might be taking ya place if ya don't hurry back and blast everyone with a new single. And on that note the lyrics are on you for this Friday. Airi is obsessed with this new gal and I was last week. So good luck at that. Taki

I blinked. Lyrics are on me?! Oh damn! I hadn't even thought of lyrics.

Taki; WTF Taki! Cut it a little closer next time! SHIT! Don't even know where to start. Give me anything. A word even! Ikuto

I typed as fast as a person could type on a cell phone. Which still wasn't fast enough for me.

Taki being bored with his luxurious time sent a reply for the third and fourth texts.

Ikuto; Geez, take a breather. Or two. Oh and about the klutz thing. I dunno. I really don't know her all that well but Airi seems to. You should text her. She's really worried. I'm gonna go now. And for your lyrics just… I dunno. Strawberry. That's the word of the week. Good luck. Gotta go. Taki

He's probably gonna cut class and run to Airi. Lover boy. That reminds me of a song that we once performed…

_Airi! She's tomorrow's gal that yesterday spoke about,_

_She's a mystery. She's an enigma. She's a secret._

_Hey you... lover boy, Will you... be my toy?_

_Hey you... lover boy, Will you... be my toy?_

_Hey you lover boy, Will you be my toy?_

_Hey you lover boy, Will you be my toy?_

_Hey you... lover boy, Will you... be my toy?_

_Hey you- lover boy, Will you- be my toy?_

_Hey you- lover boy, Will you- be my toy?_

_I play with my toys and then i break them..._

_One second i found it and the next i drop it,_

_I play with toys, and then break them,_

_One sec i found it, the next it's dropped,_

_Hey you- lover boy, Will you- be my toy?_

_Hey you- lover boy, Will you- be my toy?_

_Hey you... lover boy, Will you... be my toy?_

_Even a little, it couldn't happen,_

_Nor love nor trust,_

_Losing senses and falling in love,_

_These are things of the old times,_

_Why should i think of the ancient era?_

_Why should i destroy my peace?_

_Hey you lover boy, Will you be my toy?_

_Hey you- lover boy, Will you- be my toy?_

_Hey you... lover boy, Will you... be my toy?_

_I play with my toys and then i break them..._

_One second i found it and the next i drop it,_

_I play with toys, and then break them,_

_One sec i found it, the next it's dropped,_

_Hey you- lover boy, Will you- be my toy?_

_It's a new evening; it's a new night,_

_So let something new happen tonight,_

_Life is right now, life is right here,_

_And aside from this life is just nothing,_

_Spin round and live life as much as you want,_

_What can you lose if you do as much?_

_Hey you lover boy, Will you be my toy?_

_Hey you- lover boy, Will you- be my toy?_

_I play with my toys and then i break them..._

_One second i found it and the next i drop it,_

_Hey you lover boy, Will you be my toy?_

_Hey you- lover boy, Will you- be my toy?_

_Hey you... lover boy, Will you... be my toy?_

_Whoa~_

_Hey you..._

Yeah, it was Airi's treat. Airi sung it all apart from the first bit. That was me and Taki. I could remember it like it was last week.

You could picture it. Airi with died scarlet hair. A stage with tons of dry ice on the use. Serious colourful lighting. A lot of techno music for background. Electric instruments. A screaming and yelling fan crowd jumping up and down for us. And we were so freaked behind the curtain.

Then, it was Luci-nee and Kyouhei-nii who came and encouraged us. It was very first techno performance and well, we weren't as ready as we thought we were. I can still remember exactly how it was…

"I'm not ashamed to say that… I'm so damn freaked out!" Airi whisper-yelled at Taki and me after our first glance at the audience.

"You know what, Ikuto? Me too, I'm freaking out." Taki said. His voice was only slightly uneven.

"Oh c'mon. We can't possibly be as horrible as the last group. And oh, we've got Airi's wonderful singing on our side." I tried to get out spirits up and well, I failed.

"Oh shit! If even Ikuto's freaking out how the hell are we supposed to do this?!" Airi complained.

"Hmm, how about a little magic?" came Luci's voice from the door to backstage.

"Magic?" Me, Taki and Airi raised our eyebrows simultaneously. What the hell? Is what we were all thinking.

"That's right. You guys just go out and perform and we'll take care of the rest." Kyouhei-nii came in after Luci-nee.

"How can we trust that?" I questioned.

"How? Hmm, well, I can't tell you right now but I can tell you something else." Luci-nee said coming closer to us.

"What is it?" Airi asked, suspicious.

"When they see you, they'll all go crazy," Luci-nee whispered, "and they'll love you without even having to know you,"

We had no clue that all this time, Kyouhei-nii was fixing up out clothes. Yes, that's how freaking freaked out we were!

We heard the announcer from outside the curtain, "And last but not least well in numbers they are, we have the trio of teenage youngsters, the…"

"Go on." Luci-nee urged us out.

We stepped out and the curtains rose revealing us, completely transformed but we didn't know it.

There was a loud gasp. We almost got worried then everyone started screaming and yelling to go.

We started and we hardly realised the lights change and move and the special effects.

Everyone was cheering.

… Of course, later we saw ourselves and figured out what they'd done. 'Magic' as they called it.

Anyway, I had to think of lyrics! I had to get out. I was getting nothing in here. I left Luci-nee a note telling her I'd be out for a while and not to worry.

I walked out of the house. I needed inspiration. Where could I go? I glanced back at my house. Nope, not really an inspiration.

I tried to remember anything anyone might've said that could come in handy. Nothing. But…

"Mom, what's that?" I asked mom as she set down her picture.

"It's my fathers' old house, here in France. No one lives there anymore. It was burnt down. It's sort of just finished being restored. And now they're going to open it as kind of a museum. They even made wax sculptures of the people living there just before it burnt down. Anyways, father sent this along with a key for the locks since it's still technically our house."

… That's it! I ran back in and grabbed the key from on top of the fridge where mom had put it.

I ran back out and down the street in the direction of the old Tsukiyomi Mansion.

Amu's POV

I woke up dazed. My head hurt like a son of a b***h. I blinked. Once. Twice. I wasn't in the infirmary anymore.

I looked around to see the familiar pink shade of my room's walls.

"Are you feeling better?" Mom asked from the door.

"Yeah, I guess. I could go back to school now, I guess." I said, ambivalent.

"No, they were the ones who sent you home with your father. He was really worried about you. But if you're really okay, could you go and get these groceries for me? There's a map on the back." Mom said, handing me the list.

Usually she'd go herself, but she had a lot of kids to take care of today.

My head still hurt a little but it would pass. I decided to go.

I went out. My mom drew the map. She clearly failed mapping in high school.

I headed left.

After hours of searching for the grocery store I sat down on a bench to relax. No idea where I was going. No clue of where it was. No French at all.

I turned to look at my surroundings. I spotted a really colossal house. No Mansion. It took up acres!

It was the only house in sight and it didn't look completely like a French building. In fact, it looked sort of like one of those Japanese mansions that emperors and stuff had in all those movies. Except real.

Whatever it was, if Japanese people lived there, I could ask them where the grocery store was.

I walked around the front of the house and knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

I knocked again.

Again there was no answer.

I looked around to see that there'd been a lock that had been opened.

I tried the door and it gave away. In front of me I saw a ballroom. A beautifully designed, elegant ballroom. Simply marvellous.

There was a giant staircase and a million floors to this place. I thought as I stared up. Like a tower.

I saw a shadow. It wasn't moving. Maybe it was a person?

I rounded the corner to see a dancing couple. Except they weren't real. They were a statue. I touched it and it felt like wax.

The two of them looked so happy together. A woman with a dull blonde hair and a very sweet smile. And the man was very dashing. Again with that midnight blue coloured hair. And they both looked so familiar.

To think that I'd never seen midnight blue coloured hair before and now two people in one week. How strange. Even stranger that I was drawn to it. It made me feel… different.

I went back to the ballroom. I thought maybe this was a museum or something. I went up the giant staircase to the second floor. I heard a sound from a room. I pushed open the door. There was a wax sculpture not quite finished yet. Its hair was coloured and it was a he. He was sitting lazily on the chair, and in his hands was a beautiful glass fairy. I went closer to see that it wasn't a fairy but a girl in a tutu with wings. She looked really cute. Somewhat familiar. Almost like me when I was little.

I reached out my hand to touch it when I heard a sound. Like a chuckle.

I threw my eyes in the direction of the sound to see a window. It was open. I was sure it hadn't been open a few minutes ago. I went over to it and peeked outside. Nothing. Hmm, must've been imagining it.

I turned back. Only to see that the glass girl was gone! Maybe I imagined all of it.

I went out of that room and entered another. In there was a beautiful grand bed with many paintings on the walls. The one that caught my eye was one of a boy. He looked teenage. Very tall. He had that midnight blue hair and his face was so beautiful. His eyes were the same colour as his hair and his slightly tanned skin was showing under his ultra white, almost see through shirt. His skinny jeans portrayed the shape of his, what looked like strong and agile legs. He looked so beautiful.

It sent my heart flying just by the sight of him. I blushed what seemed like a millions shades of pink. Just by looking at him once.

I almost started hyperventilating. I felt elated. Like I was soaring through a million skies.

I ran out of the room and back to the ballroom forgetting the essential reason I came here in the first place.

I pictured that beautiful boy in front of me. I positioned myself the way I had seen in that other sculpture.

I closed my eyes and he was there.

We danced and danced and danced.

Ikuto's POV

I got to the Tsukiyomi Mansion. It was really grand and I felt like I'd been there before.

I ignored it and opened the lock. I went in. The ballroom. There was supposed to be a sculpture somewhere here. I looked around the corner and found it.

It was grandpa and grandma dancing. When they were younger. They looked so wonderful together.

I ventured up the stairs and to the second floor. There I found a room. It had an unfinished sculpture in it. Must be that uncle of mine that died. I went in the room and saw that he had a glass sculpture in his hands. She was small and beautiful. In a tutu with fairy wings.

I was just about to touch it when I heard someone knock on the door. Then I heard the door open. It wasn't long before the person was headed this way. I slipped into the bathroom.

The person came in the room. I dared a look. It was a young girl. She was admiring the sculpture. She was really beautiful. So cute! With hot pink hair. She sent my heartbeat pumping at the speed of light. I couldn't take my eyes off her. From her wonderfully silky hair to her smiling lips to slender body and thin legs. My eyes drank her in. Every part of her.

I shook myself back to reality. What was that? I asked myself. That'd never happened to me. She looked distracted. I took this chance to run to the window. I'd always been fast.

I let out a chuckle in order to distract her from the sculpture. It was MINE!

She came as I predicted and looked out the window. Little did she know that I'd already gone back in the room and taken the pretty little sculpture.

I escaped to another room. It looked like the master bedroom. With heaps of paintings. I didn't pay much attention to them though, because I heard her coming this way. Did she know I was here? And was she following me?

I slipped under the bed. I heard her gasp. She stood in one place for a long time. Then she practically ran out of the room.

I slowly and quietly got out and up. Did she get scared of something? I thought.

I went out of the room. From the railing, I saw her dancing. With a far off look in her face. Her eyes were closed. She looked like she was dancing the traditional ballroom waltz.

I couldn't help but smile. I felt weak against her expression and had a sudden urge to just pull her into my embrace.

She was humming slightly. A song. It seemed very familiar. I almost knew it.

I silently walked down to the ballroom. She was spinning around unaware of anything.

I stepped into her embrace and danced in synchronization with her steps.

She was still singing. Humming actually. That familiar tune. Hundred lives? Was what suddenly popped into my head.

I had no idea why that was; it was like suddenly remembering an old song you'd thought you'd forgotten.

When I started humming along with her, she abruptly stopped and pulled away.

Her honey gold eyes shot open and stared into my eyes for a slight second.

Amu's POV

I shot my eyes open. They were looking at someone else's eyes. That painting person's eyes. Exactly the same colour. Exactly the same intensity.

"Who are you?!" I yelped out in surprise.

"Shouldn't I be asking you, I mean, I own this place," He answered smirking.

I had to look away. I knew that colour had flooded my cheeks. He was so beautiful.

"Well, I'm sorry for intruding. I'll go now," I said and turned away.

"Wait; don't go, were you looking for something?" He asked me.

"Yes, the grocery store, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you tell me where it is?" I asked him, sweetly.

He chuckled. A familiar, cute, sweet chuckle.

"Sure. I'll take you there. Just wait here a sec."

He went to the staircase and picked up a book. He scribbled something in it and brought it with him.

"Let's go, ma'am." I could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"Okay," I said, almost reluctantly. I didn't even know this guy, was it really safe? Despite my thoughts I felt completely safe with him. Something about him told me that he wouldn't do anything.

I took his outstretched hand and we set off to the grocery store.

On the way there we spoke.

"So, you're new here?" He asked me. His voice was like a melody. I wanted him to keep speaking to me.

"Yes, my family and I just moved here from Italy." At that he stopped.

"Do you go to the partner girls' high school in Versailles?" He asked me.

"Yeah, how did you know?" I asked him, curious.

"Well, I go to the partner boy's school. Hey, so you must be Fujisaki." He commented.

"Yeah, I am, how did you know?" I asked again. I mean, I hadn't seen him around.

"Well, everyone saw you at the entrance assembly and well, you've been the latest chat of guys," He said. He grabbed his notebook and scribbled something else in it.

"Oh," was all I said.

"We're almost there," He said.

We entered the store and he led me to the aisles to find the groceries I needed.

Soon it was all done and we went to the counter. He chose a particular one. It seemed that he came here very often.

"Hey, Mr Jon," He said as he lifted all the groceries from the baskets to the counter.

"Good Afternoon, my boy, who's this new friend?" Mr Jon asked.

He looked at me weird. What was I to him?

"She's just the new girl at school and in town and had no idea where this place was." He said.

I payed for the stuff and took the bags. They were heavy but I managed to keep from showing it.

Then I realised I had no idea how to get back home from here.

"Um, I don't know the way home." I told him.

"Hmm, I'll take you there." He said. But it seemed like he wanted to say more,

"On a condition." He continued, "You have to spend the rest of the day with me."

"Uh," I was reluctant.

"Don't worry; I won't do anything you don't like. I won't even touch you. Promise. I'll just show you around a little." He said.

For some inexplicable reason, I believed him. More than that, I wanted to spend the day with him. I wanted to get to know him better. I wanted it. For some strange reason.

"Um," It was still all I said. I couldn't look directly at his eyes. Or face. As soon as I did my cheeks would fill with colour.

"It that a yes or a no because if we waste time I won't be able to show you anything fun." He said.

"What's your name?" I asked without looking up.

"Ikuto. Sohma Ikuto." He answered. I felt my heart pound harder and I didn't even think that was possible.

"Okay, then Ikuto. I'll spend the rest of the day with you," I said shyly.

"I'll take you home, where exactly do you live, Miss…?" Ikuto asked.

"Fujisaki Amu."

"Amu, nice name," Ikuto said.

"You too. I live at 325 Orleanais Street. (N/A: I know that's probably not a real street but I don't live in France so yeah,)" I told him.

"Well, Miss Amu, shall we?" Ikuto said with a playful smile on his face.

Ikuto helped me drop my bags off at home and took me to an amusement park.

There we talked and the whole time I couldn't take my eyes off him. I listened to him talk and even though he was a stranger poured out all my worries and stories to him.

I loved his expression as he listened. It was soft. Almost as if he wasn't listening at all.

Then, he took me to a music studio. It was beautiful and everyone knew him.

We went into a pretty little music room. There were heaps of instruments and we sat down to talk after I had a try at all the instruments I couldn't play.

He laughed at my trivial attempts at playing.

"Won't you play for me?" I asked him.

Ikuto stopped laughing and smirked, "Who told you I could play?" Ikuto asked me.

"Well, you know, you've been the eternal chat of the girls." I smiled my own little playful smile.

"Okay then, but you might want to look at the time first." He told me.

I took out my phone and saw that it read 8pm.

"Oh, damn, sorry, Ikuto, I have to go, my parents will worry."

He didn't answer so I put my phone back and headed out the door.

But just as I touched the handle I heard the guitar.

I turned to see Ikuto standing with a guitar playing it. Making the sound into a tuneful melody.

"_When you are here the winds start singing,_

_When you are here my world seems luminous,"_

I smiled, "Are you serious?" I asked ridiculously,

"_When you are here the winds start singing,_

_When you are here my world seems luminous,_

_Don't go!_

_Don't go!_

_Don't go!_

_Don't go!"_

"Why not?" I asked him.

"_When you are here they winds start singing,_

_When you are here my world seems luminous,_

_Don't go!_

_Don't go!_

_Don't go!_

_Don't go!"_

"Oh c'mon, I'm winging it, give me some credit," Ikuto said.

"_This night won't ever come again,_

_And this feeling won't come over me,_

_We won't meet like this again,_

_And who knows what'll happen then,_

_Don't go!_

_Don't go!_

_Don't go!_

_Don't go!"_

"You're not bad." I said to Ikuto. He walked towards me, smirking his beautiful smirk.

"_Let this night go on longer,_

_Slowly, slowly, let it slowly melt,_

_I know that our paths may be different up ahead,_

_But let's go together for a part of it," _

"What if I don't want to?" I said to Ikuto. He was very close now. Nothing but the guitar was between us.

"Are you sure you don't want to?" Ikuto whispered, I felt his cool breath hit my face. It smelt sweet.

"_Let this night go on longer,_

_Slowly, slowly let it slowly melt,_

_I know that our paths may be different up ahead,_

_But let's go together for a part of it,_

_Tomorrow you will lose something,_

_Just stay these few moments,_

_Let me take some pictures of yours _

_And keep them in my eyes, _

_Don't GO!_

_Don't GO!_

_Don't Go!_

_Don't GO!"_

Ikuto kept playing the last notes and his lips inched closer to my ears.

"I have something to tell you," He whispered as he stopped playing.

"What?" I also whispered. I knew I was blushing.

I felt Ikuto take the guitar out of his arms and place it on the ground.

"It's a secret."

"Just tell me," I gasped.

"Okay," He said seductively. Normally I would be very worried and flinch away or whack him. But this Ikuto. He was- I couldn't refuse him being this close. I hated to admit it but I liked it. No, loved it. Wanted more.

I felt his lips brush my ear and then-

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Huh," He smirked.

"You idiot, you bit me!" I yelled and stormed out.

"Wait, you forgot this." He called after me.

"What?!" I yelled.

He handed me a card and whistled away.

Just before I left though, he stopped me, "Yo Strawberry, you're a good dancer,"

I turned away. I looked at the card. It was a map. To get home.

How nice, I was still pissed at him though,

Ikuto's POV

I dunno why I did that. It just came over me. Like I knew that that's what her reaction would be like. I laughed to myself.

It was no wonder everyone thought she was hot. She looked it. Really hot body.

But she was in reality, cute, not hot.

At least she gave me lyrics.

I sent a text to Taki.

Taki; I got the lyrics. No problems. Meet tomorrow to discuss them. How's Airi?

Ikuto

It wasn't long before he answered on my way home.

Ikuto; Cool you got the lyrics. Did you really put strawberry in it? Anyway, Airi's fine. She was just a little shaken up after seeing Fujisaki hit her head. Taki.

Considering I met a strawberry today, it wouldn't be weird.

Taki; You were right, strawberry is the word of the week. And of course its in my lyrics. Are you at Airi's now? Ikuto.

I thought that maybe, if he was, I could meet them there.

Ikuto; Yeah I am, do you wanna come over now? Taki.

Taki; I will then, I'm on my way. Ikuto

I went down the road to Airi's street and saw her light on at her house.

I knocked on the door.

"Oh, hello, did Airi invite all her friends over tonight?" Ms Tokieda said.

She let me in and I went up to Airi's room.

"Hi," I said, my eyes closed.

"Why the hell are your eyes closed?" Airi asked,

"Well, I was just worried that maybe you two were French kissing without your tops or something like that," I teased.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Taki asked. Ignoring my teasing. Whereas Taki was the only thing stopping Airi from ripping my throat out.

"Oh, nothing."

Airi calmed down, "Anyways, did you bring the lyrics? And we have to tell the new girl her part too."

"I brought them, but I don't want the new girl to sing this song." I said to Airi. What, she was just gonna come in.

"But I already invited her in." Airi protested.

"Yeah well, lets see if she can handle it first. Tell her that she can join after she sees our first performance."

"Why?"

"So she can see if she's ready to be like that. I mean she doesn't seem like she could take it."

"You've met her," Taki spoke for the second time. The silent one out of the three of us.

"Maybe." I smirked.

"Oh c'mon, don't be a douche. Tell us!" Airi complained.

"Does it really matter?" I asked them.

"No, not really." Taki answered for Airi, "Anyways, let's see your lyrics." Taki continued on.

I handed them the notebook with the lyrics.

"Not bad," Airi said.

"Dude, when I said, strawberry, I honestly didn't mean it like this." Taki said, "But it's not bad."

"I'm vocals for it. We'll need a techno DJ and a drummer is all." I said, proposing the idea to them.

They could both probably picture it now.

"Lights?" Taki asked.

"I'll get Luci-nee and Kyouhei-nii to do the special effects too."

That reminded me!

"Oh SHIT!" I stood up abruptly.

"What?" Taki and Airi asked.

"I told Luci I'd be back by six. She's probably freaking out now."

"How about your parents?" Airi asked.

"They won't be home till ten, they said so."

"Your cell?" Taki asked.

I took it out to see fifty missed calls. I'd put it on silent when I went to the studio.

Suddenly, Airi's home phone rang.

"Mom, it's mine!" Airi said and picked up the cordless phone in her room.

"Hello?" Airi said.

We could hear her from the other end of the phone,

"IKUTO, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! GET THE HELL BACK HOME IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR VIOLIN EVER AGAIN!"

"I'd better go." I said as I rushed out.

I got a cab and went straight home taking my notebook of course.

She was waiting for me at the front gate.

Her hair was messed up, like she'd been running around searching for me.

I got out and walked to her.

She abruptly turned and walked back in the front door.

I followed her.

First she slapped me and yelled at me. Hysterics. Then she hugged and cried. Worried.

"Okay, I'm sorry," I said for about the billionth time.

I told her where I was, but I didn't tell her about the strawberry. She would fuss.

I went to my room and lay in my bed. I had to go to school tomorrow. I couldn't procrastinate any longer.

In a few minutes Luci-nee called me down for dinner.

"You haven't eaten yet?" I asked her.

"Neither have you," Was all she said.

We sat down at our oversized dining table.

"So did you have a nice day?" Luci-nee asked me.

"Yeah, it was fine," I answered.

Luci's POV

"Did you meet anyone? Except for Airi and Taki of course." I asked my brother. Making me worry like that wasn't something everyone could do. I was level-headed.

"No," Ikuto said bluntly.

He was my brother; I knew he was hiding something.

"So you went to the old Tsukiyomi Mansion." I confirmed.

I'd been there too, a little earlier on. They had just finished the sculptures of Ojiichan and Obaachan and one of the servants, Karin. They were just starting the one of my uncle. I'd seen the little girl in a tutu they were going to put in his hands. Apparently, it was the real thing. They had supposedly taken it from my uncle's dead body.

"Yeah, it was cool. I guess our hair colour runs in the family." Ikuto smiled.

"Yeah, I know, I saw them."

"You did? When?"

"That's not really the issue here, Ikuto," I said.

"Look I wasn't out with a girlfriend if that's what you're implying. Besides they aren't as important as being on time. I just lost track of time while I was with Airi and Taki."

"Okay." I decided to drop it. He wasn't gonna tell me anymore.

I knew he met someone. Preferably a girl. He liked her, a lot.

There was something about him, the way his eyes shone now, or the way he would stare admiringly at nothing in particular.

"Anyways, you were going to ask me something," I reminded him.

"Oh yeah, um, will you and Kyouhei-nii do the lighting and special effects for our next song?" Ikuto asked me.

"Sure, what is it?" I asked him.

"Come to the music room tomorrow when we have our frees." Ikuto told me.

Frees, huh, oh right, tomorrow was Wednesday. Everyone had a free period for third period.

"Okay" I said. I was curious. No doubt he went out for inspiration. And that inspiration wasn't the house, but the girl. I would have to investigate.

* * *

Aireen; Hahaha, I finished the decade.

Utau: Now, why were you so late this time again?

Aireen: Okay, look it's all the things from last time and well I've been really sick and we have our term exams and interim report tests and interviews. I honestly am trying my best to upload these chapters faster. Sorry everyone.

Utau: again, they're all excuses.

Kukai: Can you just bring Amu and Ikuto back into the chat already. Utau spends less time with me and more time with you.

Aireen: Kukai! You're so mean! Who knew you could be so cold?!

Kukai: You're overreacting.

Utau: Yeah, it's not cool

Aireen: Fine, anyways on the holidays, I'll try to work overtime! I'll upload a chapter…

More often than now. And oh, I'm going on holiday for Easter. To Tasmania!

Utau;…

Aireen: yeah, not a good idea, but you know, we never get to go for a vacation coz my dad works full time.

Kukai:…

Aireen: Anyways, reviews please


	11. The Singoff

Aireen: I'm back, and it's my eleventh chapter!

Utau: We know.

Aireen: Yeah, um, I just wanna say that I'm having a very boring holiday.

Utau: Anyway, can we get back to the main topic here?

Aireen: RIGHT! I SAW IKUTO IN AMU'S BED IN SHUGO CHARA PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE'S BACK! HE'S BACK! HE'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Utau: I know,

Aireen: No you don't. Only Amu-chan knows! She sat on him and then, and then he's like, 'yo'. And I screamed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And SHOUTED!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!! ACTUALLY FOR IKUTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Utau: I swear, Aireen, you need to quit being so, so, Ikuto-fan-ish

Aireen: NEVER!

Utau: You're crunchyroll watching is taking all your internet credit, that's why you can't go on as often you know,

Aireen: IKUTO'S WORTH IT! Oh, and my crunchyroll name is shugocharafanilikuto

Utau: IL?

Aireen: Stands for I love.

Utau: Ok then.

Aireen: I don't own Shugo Chara

* * *

Amu's POV

That stupid, idiot! That loser! Why did he have to do that?!

Everything was going fine! Until he…

Why?

Still… It was sure something.

I couldn't forget the feeling I had when I was with him. All the insecurity, all my worries, everything that troubled me was gone. Just gone.

I forgot everything while I was with him? Could I like him?

No! Not possible! After what he did?!

Still… I couldn't help but wonder.

Then it hit me. He was Sohma Ikuto. Sohma. As in the guy who was in the band with Airi and Taki.

Oh. My. God. I couldn't do it. Nope. I would have to refuse Airi. Impossible to spend another moment with that damn cat pervert!

Cat? Wait, what the hell?!

Pervert, he was. But cat? Where the hell did I get that from?

Oh well. These days, strange was in the air.

Seemed like everything was going the wrong way.

I headed home and awaited my severe punishment, mostly guilt I may add, for making my parents worry so much. Stupid idiot cat- stuff it! – pervert!

Ikuto's POV

I entered the music room with Taki to see Airi already there and waiting for us.

"Where's the new girl?" I smirked, knowing she wouldn't come.

"The new girl has a name!" Airi said. She was sure pissed that Amu didn't come.

"Right, Fujisaki Amu, was it?"

"Who the hell told you?" Airi yelled.

"Um, my sister." I said as if it should have been obvious. Actually it should have been obvious. Since we all knew that my sister was the college captain.

"Right. Anyways she said she wasn't feeling well and rushed off to the nurse's office. Anyway. Let's get practicing. Don't waste time. It's Wednesday and we're performing on Friday."

"I know." I grabbed out the lyrics and the music sheet we'd made up the night before and placed their copies on the stands.

"Ready, five, six, seven, eight…" Airi started.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::After many practices:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"That was good. But I still can't believe you actually included strawberry in it."

"Well it could be anything, honey, my love, my sweet, sweetie, any word would fit, but well, I saw a strawberry yesterday and put it in, besides you were the one to recommend it."

"Hahaha, that was fun! Maybe Amu-chan isn't ready yet."

"She couldn't level up to this, she needs time, maybe she'll get it in a few months," I teased.

"Not funny, Ikuto!" Airi said. "Besides, just because she isn't as conceited as you doesn't mean she doesn't sing as well."

"Now we've been through this, if she sings better than I can, I'll uh, um, cut a slit in my right thumb." I said. Though, even if worst came to worst I wouldn't have to. Considering how many things it disabled me to do, it was very alluring for Airi.

"Okay then, deal. After this week's performance, we'll have a sing off, teams, girls' verses boys."

"Sure, girls verses boys, no problem." I agreed.

"Now, are you sure this is a good idea, I mean, if it were girls verses boys, Luci would be in their team," Taki said,

"Yes, but Kyouhei-nii would be in our team," I rebounded. Kyouhei-nii and Luci-nee were in an endless sing off. They would draw no matter what they did.

And I would get that strawberry to sing.

"So, Saturday at my house," I announced. "Airi, tell Amu."

I smirked and Luci-nee came in followed by Kyouhei-nii.

"Hey, so, are you ready to practice. I heard you guys before, it were quite good."

Wwwwwwwwwwww On Friday just before the performance wwwwwwwwwww

Amu's POV

I went in the hall to see screaming fans. The hall was packed. Thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of people were here to see a high school band?

Were they really that good?

I'd decided to come and see for myself. After making up excuses to skip the band all week I finally came to see what all the ruckus was about.

It was a little thing.

Every passing person was talking about it.

All the girls, all the boys, everywhere I went was, "Dyu here, they're gonna perform on Friday," "oh my god Ikuto and Taki are performing again! We've got to get tickets fast."

This and that for the whole week.

I pushed my way through the crowd to the front where I could barely see them.

"Get ready for their new song, Strawberry," The announcer yelled.

Everyone screamed even louder. My eardrums felt as if they were being ripped apart.

They came on stage. And the crowd hushed as they started their performance.

Ikuto was at the microphone, Taki with his guitar, Airi at the drum kit and Luci and a boy were playing DJ.

"_Without you, I can't focus on anything,_

_Without you, I can't focus on anything,_

_Oh, without you,_

_Without you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Strawberry..."_

The background music started.

"_My heart has finally listened to my heart,_

_My heart has finally listened to my heart,_

_It's lost in these musical nights,_

_Craziness, Intoxication, Moments in my eyes,_

_It's all my life in my breaths,_

_There was no promise,_

_There was no intention,_

_You came into my heart, _

_Who knows how?"_

There was a look in Ikuto's eyes that wasn't there before. A look of pride. Of joy. Of fun. This kind of excitement building up in his soul.

"_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Strawberry..."_

Now that I thought about it, didn't he call me strawberry the other day? No, this song couldn't be about me.

"_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Strawberry..."_

Ikuto was breathtaking. What? No, he's just a perverted, flirtatious teenage boy who you happened to come across that day. I reminded myself again and again. But his singing dragged me away from myself.

I couldn't help it. No matter what I did.

"_My heart doesn't accept what i say, it doesn't listen,_

_It has such a strong trust on its stubbornness, _

_It thinks that i should look at you all the time,_

_When my eyes see you, it thinks it should have you,"_

I felt elated again. Never before like this in my life and now twice in one week. What was it with Ikuto? Was he a magician? I looked up as the voice changed and realised that Taki sang the next part.

"_You're a fantasy, you're an ecstasy,_

_I'm the one for you; you're the one for me,_

_Just slowly close, never let me go,_

_My Strawberry,"_

I closed my eyes and tried to focus but when Ikuto started singing…

"_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Strawberry..."_

"_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Strawberry..."_

I felt myself hyperventilating.

"_You're awake in your sleep, then come in my dreams,_

_Choose the whole universe with me in your embrace,_

_Since you came into my life, some things like different,_

_Every moment is sweet, sweet; it's my heart's world,"_

I wondered if this was what he was scribbling in his notepad. He didn't seem like the one to write such a romantic song. I looked up again as Taki sang.

"_You're a fantasy, you're an ecstasy,_

_I'm the one for you; you're the one for me,_

_Just slowly close, never let me go,_

_My Strawberry,"_

I tried again to focus, but Ikuto started singing too soon for me to get anything.

"_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Strawberry..."_

"_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Oh Strawberry, in this heart is you,_

_Strawberry..."_

"_Whoa~_

_Whoa~ WHOA!"_

I finally understood what people were about when they were talking about a performance from these people. They were simply WOW.

There was no other way to put it. I hated Ikuto, (I thought), but I couldn't help but love the song. It was wonderful. No wonder everyone liked it. No, loved it.

The crowd was cheering. Louder than ever. My ears were bleeding. I felt like I was going to go deaf.

Before, I had wondered why these hundreds of thousands of people came here to listen to a teenage band perform live for a five minute song. There should have been no point.

But listening to them, I finally understood why. When they sang, they brought heaven to caress the earth. Everyone felt as if they were soaring through paradise.

Airi told me about tomorrow. At Ikuto's house. She would take me there. This band was like a group of angels. They were heavenly and I wanted to be a part of it.

Luci's POV

Strawberry, huh? I knew that it was a girl. Strawberry? Who the hell calls their girlfriend strawberry?

Unless… they had that kind of hair! I finally got it. It had to be the new girl. Before she came Ikuto wouldn't look twice at a girl that way.

It was like something clicked inside him. His singing was especially well tonight. Probably because he felt it. He felt that feeling inside him.

Strawberry girl, no, Fujisaki Amu, you'd better watch out, because I'm pretty sure Ikuto's coming for you.

The next day

They were coming today. I grabbed the song lyrics pile I'd made last night. Girls VS boys.

We would win. I hoped.

I went downstairs to see Airi, Amu, Ikuto, Taki, Kari, Chiaki and Kyo waiting at the lounge. Dad and Mom were out together. ( I kind of set them up for a date, you know,)

"So, everyone who needs to be here is acquainted for?" I asked.

"Yes, now sit with the girls," Ikuto said.

The sofas had been moved back and two mats had been placed on the ground, facing each other. Clichéd pink for girls and blue for boys.

"Alright, for the newies, no offence, this is a sing-off. And in these sing-offs, there are judges. For the first point. So welcome, DJ, Charles, Moira and Irene," Ikuto started.

"Now, next is the rules. Rule one you have to be paired up with another person. You will receive points on your singing and will win or lose between the two of you. So, that means that you're actually only competing with the other person. But you still don't want to lose because the loss counts for the team. The teams win on how many wins they have. So you want more people in your team to win." DJ said.

"Also, the songs are paired songs. So the main singers should be the ones in the pair and background singers can be in the groups. There are, at the end, team songs, though," Charles continued on.

"You can use lyrics to read off if you don't know the words but the main singers can't look at the music. The rest of the team is welcome to." Moira said.

"Also, you each have only one glass of water and no more, so don't ask." Irene said.

Everyone here was a musician of some sort. Kari and Chiaki were two of the other Japanese people at my school. They both sang also, and they were both in year 11. (second year of high school).

DJ was (like his name) actually a part time DJ. Moira was Mr Jon's daughter and was a lyricist. Charles played the flute and Irene sang.

"We'll put you in partners according to level or whatever we like." DJ said. I laughed. Whatever you like.

"Okay, the pairs are, Kyouhei and Luci, Kari and Chiaki, Airi and Taki, and Ikuto and Amu," Irene announced.

"Well, that was predictable," I whispered to Kari.

"Hahaha, yep, definitely." She whispered back.

"I propose the first song to be…" Kyo started as he looked at me, " the Indian holiday song,"

Ikuto had been in on it.

"Indian holiday song?" Amu asked.

"Well, a few years back, our family and Kyo's went to India for a holiday and well, we went to a village where they were having this celebration called Lodi and that's where people propose to each other. Anyone can propose and people can reject or accept. So they told us a story of a married couple. The man proposed to his wife again. He wanted to have her for the next life and all the lives to come. They made us sing that song that they sang ages back but in English." I kindly explained to Amu.

"So shall we?" Kyo said. He smirked.

I smirked back. It was me criticizing him if he remembered right.

"We shall."

I clicked and the band entered through our back door.

"This is the band that will be playing our music for us this afternoon." I announced.

I cleared my throat and the band started playing the music laid out on their stands.

Kyo had to start,

"_I'd give my life for you, _

_I'd give you whatever you want,_

_I'd obey your every whim,_

_My love,"_

I laughed as I had when we originally sung the song.

"_I'd give my life for you, _

_I'd give you whatever you want, _

_I'd obey your every whim,_

_My love,_

_I'd give my life for you,"_

My turn,

"_Ha! I've come to know you, _

_I've come to know your tricks,_

_I wouldn't want you,_

_Now that I know your bad behaviours,_

_I've come to know you,_

_I've come to know your tricks,"_

The teams had the lyrics and the background boys were up first,

"_Hey, hey, hey, hey, girlies,"_

Now the background girls,

"_Oi, Oi, Oi, Oi, wimpy boys,"_

There were a few bars of music before I started singing again,

"_As soon as it's evening,_

_No sense of anything,_

_Except for drinking,_

_Then sun goes down,_

_You get drunk,_

_Is this any life? Hmm?"_

Kyo looked at me sort of playfully hurt,

"_What you say, I say touché, _

_I'll take care,_

_Let me drink today, one drop,_

_Tomorrow I won't even lick it,"_

Now it was Ikuto's turn. When they'd explained the story it was the couple's son, who sung the next part,

"_Now when it's evening,_

_He'll go straight home,"_

"_I'd give my life for you," _

The background girls were up again. My team wasn't finding this hard, not even Amu, who hadn't sung with us before.

"_Oh Romeo, Oh lover, Oh my love, my heartthrob,"_

The background boys weren't having any trouble either, though,

"_Oh Juliet, My life, Hot, Pretty Gal,"_

Another few bars of music before I sang,

"_I see that everyday you play cards,_

_To you sweeter than me, aces and twos, _

_Right?"_

I was asking Kyo, with my own playful hurt,

"_I play cards, but this idiocy won't happen again, _

_Now there will be only two cards,_

_King and Queen,"_

I ridiculed him.

"_Oh right, like you ever do that,_

_You'll still gamble,_

_I've come to know you,_

_I've come to know your tricks,"_

"_Hey, hey, hey, hey, Girlies,"_

"_Oi, Oi, Oi, Oi, wimpy boys,"_

I listened to the music carefully, it took me a while to get this part right before.

"_If I ask for something, _

_You always forget,_

_You needed to get tuna,_

_You brought steak,"_

I got it!

When we did this at the village, Ikuto handed Kyo a notebook. I watched amazed, as Ikuto gave Kyo another notebook to play the part,

"_Now I have this notebook,_

_I'll write it in this,_

_That means from now,_

_I'll only get what you wanted,"_

Ikuto put on his playfully pacifying face,

"_He's recovering,_

_He'll get better,"_

"_I'd give my life for you, _

_I'd give my life for you,"_

"_Juliet, my sweet, Laila, Heer,"_

The background boys did a good job pronouncing the Indian love story characters' names but they couldn't get it quite right.

The background girls had the harder job but did it quite the much better,

"_Romeo, my lover, Majnu, Ranjhna,"_

I sighed, it was part of the act,

"_Oh~, _

_Whether you change, _

_Or you don't,  
Still you are mine,_

_I would want you always,_

_In every life,"_

"_Oh Heer, in every life,_

_I'm your Ranjha,_

_You were mine, _

_You are mine,_

_You will be mine,"_

Kyo of course had no problem pronouncing the names with ease,

"_Yes, without you,_

_Where would he go?" _

Ikuto said his last line,

"_Now what I need is much,_

_More tolerance,_

_I've come to know you,_

_I've come to know your tricks,"_

My last line, that was,

"_I'd give my life for you,_

_I'd give my life for you,"_

Kyo finished up and the band played the last few bars.

The judges clapped and wrote down their secret scores.

"Next," The judges commanded.

Airi and Taki also went to India that time and learnt a song from us back then,

"Say, Taki, Oboeteka (n/a ; means do you remember in Japanese) ? Radha and Kanha?" Airi said.

Taki smirked. "Mochido (n/a ; means of course in Japanese) There's no way I would forget,"

I ran upstairs grabbing Kyo and changed into traditional Indian clothes. The same ones we wore for this song.

I clapped my hands and the band played the start of the next song.

This song had a lot of dancing and we'd decided that I would dance. Partly because I could match Airi's lip flex and partly because I knew the song and partly because I was the only girl who knew traditional Indian dancing.

Clearly the boys had chosen Kyo to do the dance. Fun. We'd done it together before.

"_In Madhuban when Kanha meets some girl,_

_Sometimes smiles, sometimes teases, sometimes talks with her,_

_How isn't Radha jealous?_

_How isn't Radha jealous?_

_Fire is in her soul,_

_How isn't Radha jealous?_

_How isn't Radha jealous?"_

Airi sang, just perfectly for the part with just the right amount of suspicion in her tone and voice. I lip-synced her and danced the part.

"_In Madhuban when Kanha meets some girl,_

_Only the love of Radha blooms in his heart,_

_How is Radha jealous?_

_How is Radha jealous?_

_Without thinking or understanding,_

_How is Radha jealous?_

_How is Radha jealous?"_

Taki too had the right amount of precision and authority in his voice. Tough fight. Taki continued his part. Kyo was a good dancer too. He knew exactly how to counteract my moves.

It was that clapping dance next, I could remember the last time we did it, Kyo hit too hard and I fell back. It wasn't gonna happen this time. We even acted out the part to the music.

"_The girls are stars and the moon is Radha,_

_Then why has she got half the faith,_

_The girls are stars and the moon is Radha,_

_Then why has she got half the faith,"_

Kyo danced this part to the song with ease.

Airi wasn't the least bit phased though,

"_Kanha's attention just keeps moving around from here to there,_

_Then how does the poor Radha retain her own respect,"_

Her tone was perfect too. I felt the dancing instinct come quickly and did the part.

But Taki wasn't one to back down. The next part was quick change in tone and pitch and he had that in the bag. While Kyo danced around the now kneeling me. I rose as Taki sung the next part.

"_Girls are to come and go, _

_Radha is the queen of his heart,_

_Girls are to come and go,_

_Radha is the queen of his heart,_

_Through the forests and the rivers,_

_Radha, Radha is what Kanha calls,"_

He did his part perfectly. Not a single mistake. I reached to place my arms around Kyo's neck as Airi started singing, everyone else clapped the beat.

"_When they put their embrace around Kanha's neck,_

_How isn't Radha jealous?_

_How isn't Radha jealous?_

_Fire is in her soul,_

_How isn't Radha jealous?_

_How isn't Radha jealous?"_

Airi also did, her change was flawless. The music flooded our ears. It was the sweet soft melody of the bridge. This was part of the difficult traditional dancing that I hadn't had much practice in. I sung the Indian notes as I danced the part. I was difficult. Balance and grace, precision and hold,

"_When Kanha embeds Radha in his heart,_

_Then why doesn't Kanha tell her at once?"_

Just like me, Airi had the tendency to look slightly hurt. Only I think Taki, Ikuto, Kyouhei and I knew she was pretending.

"_Love has its own made, its own original language,_

_They talk with their eyes, Kanha hopes for this,"_

Taki also looked sweetened.

"_Kanha's these eyes are looking at girls all the time,_

_Kanha's these eyes are looking at girls all the time,_

_Their eyes meet; something happens, these fair, fair girls,_

_Have fallen for him,"_

Radha/Airi continued her hurt tone, protesting against the authoritive Kanha/Taki. While I dancing round and Kyo acting out the story in the dance as I was taught to do. So was Kyo, though,

"_Even if some girl falls in love with Kanha, _

_How is Radha jealous?_

_Radha jealous,_

_Radha jealous,"_

It's our turn, the traditional dancing just got ten times harder for Kyo and me.

"_How isn't Radha jealous?"_

Now their turn,

"_How is Radha jealous?"_

Our turn again. We didn't have a big part in this song but it was fun!

"_How isn't Radha jealous?"_

I did the dance, fast, yet precise. Had to be perfect. I thought as I moved my body to the music and the song.

"_How is Radha jealous?_

_How is Radha jealous?"_

Kyo as well.

"_How isn't Radha jealous?"_

"_How is Radha jealous?_

_How is Radha jealous?"_

Kyo grabbed a spare wooden flute and played the part. It was part of the dance as well.

I sung and danced the part as well. Twirling and spinning. Countering. And then synchronizing.

"_How isn't Radha jealous?_

_How isn't Radha jealous?_

_How isn't Radha jealous?"_

Airi sang the last part like, perfectly. No flaws. I heard as I lip-synced.

We all broke into laughter and the judges clapped again.

I was SO tired. Since our end position was together. Kyo whispered, "Fall," into my ear. And I did. Almost. Falling. Fooling him.

I collected myself and sat down with the girls and smirked at Kyo.

He smirked right back at me.

"Next." The judges said.

"We'll go next," Kari announced.

"Right." Chiaki said.

Kari whispered the song they were going to sing in my ear.

"Oh, what fun? I'm dancing." I announced. Though I was tired, this dancing was nil compared to the Indian traditional.

I ran up again and Kyo came with.

I changed into the red dress I'd worn for this song. Surprised it still fit.

Kyo also changed. Into his old western style top and tight pants and long boots.

I smiled.

When we came down I started the music to get going.

I swung my dress as was the dance.

Kyo did his moves right as well.

Chiaki started,

"_My heart sank, my heart sank, _

_In these blue eyes, my heart sank,_

_My darling, my darling, _

_Just know this, my darling,"_

Kyo twirled me into his arms for the first part.

Then he moved down and I raised my leg to the side.

Then I had to raise one eyebrow at a time.

Kyo shouldered my forward for the my darlings,

And he spun me around for the next.

This song had a really fun signature dance. Kyo and I stood next to each other. And did the dance to the music.

Then Chiaki started singing again and Kyo lip-synced.

"_My heart sank, my heart sank, _

_In these blue eyes, my heart sank,_

_My darling, my darling, _

_Just know this, my darling, _

_I'm a lover, I'm crazy,_

_I'd do anything for you,_

_I live in your love_

_I'd die for you,"_

We did a different dance for the same words this time. Just like the first time.

Then was the signature dance to that signature music again.

Kari's part was up and I had to lip-sync.

"_I'm not yours, I'm not coming,_

_Hey lover, get lost!"_

"_Why?"_ This song was all about expressions and Kyo was making it hard for me not to laugh.

"_Just making up some stupid pick-up lines, _

_Don't bother me, guy,"_

I did the dance. It was fun. It was Chiaki / Kyo's turn again.

"_I'll be destroyed, completely destroyed,_

_I'll win your heart for sure,_

_I'm not gonna get off your back,_

_No matter how much you torture,"_

Kyo had to follow as I walked to a side during this part.

"_My heart sank, my heart sank,_

_In your blue eyes, my heart sank,_

_My darling, my darling, _

_Just know this, darling,"_

Kyo fell from side to side and Taki and Ikuto pushed him to each other's sides.

Then he did the signature dance simultaneously as me facing each other.

"_There is a test, there is a trial,_

_In my love,_

_Heaps of Romeo's have gone crazy,_

_In my love,"_

I danced my part as well, walking backwards with big hip movements.

"_I will one day, my love, adorn you with the crown of love,_

_The whole wide world with watch, while i take you away,"_

Kyo danced around me sliding his hand across my shoulders.

"_My heart sank!" _

After this was my solo bit. The dance.

I put my arms to one side and twirled my hips and my head, moving to one side at a time with the music.

Kyo threw his head back, just like the first time, and lip-synced the last part.

"_I'm a lover, I'm crazy,_

_I'd do anything for you,"_

Chiaki ended the song. And I realised there was only one pairing to go.

Ikuto and Amu.

Everyone clapped and the judges said, "Next."

Amu decided to start. I guessed Ikuto would wing it. Like he usually does.

What I didn't guess was that Amu would wing it as well.

No dancing for this song, but I took the written music from Amu and Ikuto and gave it to the band I'd hired.

"_Why has the season suddenly changed?"_ Amu started.

Ikuto kept with the beat and answered in the same poetic tone.

"_It's the habit of the world, what else can i say?"_

"_This wind, what does it say?"_ Amu and Ikuto alternated questions and answers beautifully in the song. As if they'd been singing together since who knows when. They sure made a cute couple. I thought.

"_It says, you go on and sing," _

"_Where is this road taking us?"_

"_You come, let us see."_

"_Why do these flowers have this scent?"_

"_There good from the heart, what else can i say?"_

"_Why has the season suddenly changed?"_

"_It's the habit of the world, what else can i say?" _

"_It seems, that the ground is so pretty,_

_If it's sweet, then it's this,_

_Why does it seem like this?"_

"_When in life, every moment is happiness,_

_Sunken in fun every moment is,_

_Then every sight looks wonderful,_

_This is like this,"_

"_Why is this softness in these trees?"_

"_They are shy, what else can i say?"_

"_Why has the season suddenly changed?"_

"_It's the habit of the world, what else can i say?"_

"_The birds on the branches, what are they singing?_

_What are they saying that makes things great?_

_They are telling me, to make me understand,_

_Why does it seem like this?"_

"_These birds do sing, that's all i know,_

_To live and fly, to the high skies,_

_They also want us to believe this,_

_This is like this,"_

Here, Ikuto began the question.

"_Why is this light so luminous?"_

"_It's almost dusk, what else can i say?"_

"_Why has the season suddenly changed?"_

"_It's the habit of the world, what else can i say?"_

"_This wind, what does it say?"_

"_It says, you go on and sing,"_

"_This road, where is it taking us,"_

"_Come let's go, let us see,"_

We all clapped.

"Not bad for the new person." I said to Amu.

"Now for the end of round scores!" DJ announced.

"Out of Airi and Taki, I'm sorry Taki but it was Airi's win." Irene said.

"Out of Chiaki and Kari, it was a tie." Charles said.

"Out of Ikuto and Amu, it was really tough but in the end Ikuto's sheer ad lib-ing powers overpowered Amu's. So Ikuto won."

"What about us?" Kyo asked.

"Now we can't decide. You were both equally good. Based on performance, though, the girls won. So Luci." DJ said.

"So the girls are in the lead." Moira stated.

"I see." Kyo mused.

I smirked. Kyo narrowed his eyes.

"Anyways, next are the group songs. That, for the new people, is the round where each team will do a performance by itself. They will be given points and will be judged according to the overall performance." Irene announced.

"The girls can go first." Ikuto said quickly.

"Fine, with us," I retorted.

I cleared my throat. "Lucky," I said. Airi and Kari knew what I was talking about and got the lyrics for Amu.

When we went for a holiday in Japan, once, I went to a school where I wrote my name in English, accidentally. Then someone pronounced it Lucky, instead of Lucy. So I wrote this song then.

The band started playing.

"_Oh Kami-sama oh,_

_Oh my Kami-sama,_

_Dancing in my heart, why?_

_These hysterics,_

_Someone will come, _

_Take me in his arms,_

_And kiss my lucky lips,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,"_

This time all the girls joined me,

"_Oh Kami-sama oh,_

_Oh my Kami-sama,_

_Dancing in my heart, why?_

_These hysterics,_

_Someone will come, _

_Take me in his arms,_

_And kiss my lucky lips,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey,"_

We danced around, us girls. In a row we walked straight like the army as the trumpet solo went on.

I started singing again,

"_I feel a little ticklish,_

_Which world am I lost in?_

_I'm half-awake and half-asleep,_

_I'm half-awake and half-asleep,"_

"_It's entirely an all-new feeling,_

_A thirst lingers on my lips,_

_It's a special sense of pain, _

_It's a special sense of pain,"_

Then Airi stepped forward,

"_Someone will leave, _

_With a restless feeling,_

_After seeing my lucky lips,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,"_

We danced around and I whispered for Kari to take the next part. With Amu at the end.

Kari started,

"_Oh Kami-sama oh,_

_Oh my Kami-sama,_

_Dancing in my heart why?_

_These hysterics,"_

Kari nudged Amu and she started.

"_Someone will come, _

_Take me in his arms,_

_And kiss my lucky lips,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,"_

We all did the signature wave for the dance. The uh-huh, huh, bit had this wave. A round wave. We did that every time the part came up in the song.

Now it was my turn again,

"_Oh, I'm soaring with the breeze,_

_In my obsession,_

_My eyes are downcast and coy,_

_My breaths reveal my story,_

_My breaths reveal my story,"_

Airi sung the next part,

"_My heart thumps wildly,_

_They are yearning,_

_My lucky lips,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,"_

We all joined together to sing and dance to the final verse.

"_Oh Kami-sama oh,_

_Oh my Kami-sama,_

_Dancing in my heart, why?_

_These hysterics,_

_Someone will come, _

_Take me in his arms,_

_And kiss my lucky lips,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,_

_Ay, hey, uh-huh, huh, uh-huh, huh,"_

The judges cheered our performance.

"Now it's our turn, prepare to be amazed, everyone," Chiaki said.

Kyo clicked twice and the music started.

He cleared his throat and started singing,

"_I have a complaint,_

_Complaint against you,_

_But it's also true,_

_That I love you,"_

Ikuto continued on, a perfect transaction,

"_I have a complaint, _

_Complaint against you,_

_But it's also true, _

_That I love you,"_

Chiaki went on without hesitation,

"_The moon and stars are from you,_

_This sight is from you,_

_Sweet nights are from you,_

_Sunny days are from you,"_

Taki was ready for his part too,

"_I have a complaint,_

_Complaint against you,_

_But it's also true,_

_That I love you,"_

Kyo had grabbed a guitar and was playing the solo bit here.

This song was one that Dad sang to Mom once when she didn't let Ikuto and me out by ourselves when we were twelve years old. I was surprised Ikuto wrote it down.

Kyo sang the start of the next verse,

"_Ever since my sight met you,_

_I've been clueless, I've been restless,"_

Ikuto continued the same one,

"_I dream dreams of you,_

_Every day, night, dusk and dawn,"_

Chiaki didn't waver to go on,

"_In patterns of breaths,_

_In my restless heart,"_

On the same note Taki took over,

"_In my loneliness, _

_In my obsession,_

_Is you,"_

This was the part that surprised me. Since they were so wonderful at their changeovers, the boys sung one line each for a verse in the order, Kyo, Ikuto, Chiaki, Taki,

"_The moon and stars and from you,"_

"_This sight is from you,"_

"_Sweet nights are from you,"_

"_Sunny days are from you,"_

"_I have a complaint,"_

"_Complaint against you,"_

"_But it's also true,"_

"_That I love you,"_

"_HEY!" _

They sung the last line together.

I was so surprised when they completed it.

They were so perfectly in time. It was flawless.

But... their performance overall wasn't as wonderful as ours.

We danced. We sung. We had expressions and captions.

They didn't. Just standing and singing wasn't a brilliant performance.

"Now you guys have to do the full performance. For the new people, it's the final performance and everyone has to have a part in it."

"What do you say, Kyo, salute…" I suggested.

"…To love, Of course." He completed.

Unfortunately we were the only ones who knew all of it.

We assigned parts. And we practiced.

"Ready?" Kyo asked me.

"We always were." I answered.

I clapped twice and the band started playing.

"_Love- Oh!_

_Yo, people in the house,_

_This is a tribute to the power of love!"_ Taki started out.

Then Kyo took it from there,

"_To the lashes and kohl of your eyes, I salute,_

_To the dark, dark, clouds of your tresses, I salute,_

_To the lashes and kohl of your eyes, I salute,_

_To the dark, dark, clouds of your tresses, I salute,_

_It makes me senseless, the sound of your anklets,_

_Oh lovely, lovely, very beautiful, to your every style, I salute,_

_Salute to love, love, love, salute to love,_

_Salute to love, love, love, salute to love,"_

Everyone sung this next part, always,

"_Salute to love, salute to, _

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,"_

Kyo sung this part,

"_Love, OH!"_

It was my turn now,

"_To your playful and romantic words, I salute,_

_To the nights sunken in colours, I salute,_

_I'm lost in my dreams, I've become crazy,_

_To your lovely, lovely, very lovely, to your every style, I salute,_

_Salute to love, love, love, salute to love,_

_Salute to love, love, love, salute to love,"_

Everyone's turn,

"_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,"_

_  
_Kyo's turn,

"_Love, OH!"_

Chiaki and Kari sung the next part together,

"_Your and my sight, when they met the first time,_

_I have fallen in love with you,_

_What is my heart, my heart? It's crazy for you,_

_I have put faith only in you,"_

It was Airi's turn to sing now,

"_I've also fallen for you; this craziness came over me,_

_My each heartbeat is restless; in my eyes are your dreams,"_

Taki came to sing as well,

"_Sweeter than life itself, to my sweetheart, I salute,_

_Salute to love, _

_Salute to love, love, love, salute to love, _

_Salute to love, love, love, salute to love,"_

"_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,"_

"_Love, OH!"_

Kyo came back to sing the next part again,

"_In your love, I, would offer two worlds,_

_Just trust on my promise,_

_The earth is telling, the sky is saying,_

_There is no other like you,"_

I countered his words,

"_Oh, Don't cast magic like this, I won't come near,_

_Cut these lying praises, now bond your heart with mine,"_

He didn't sit out,

"_To the prayer that came just now, I salute,_

_Salute to love,_

_Salute to love, love, love, salute to love, _

_Salute to love, love, love, salute to love,"_

"_Oh, Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,"_

Kyo and I sung together just the one line,

"_Love, OH!" _

It was finally Ikuto's turn to sing,

"_I say to God, forgive me, I have only worshipped my love,_

_Oh my beloved, you don't have any clue,_

_How much I can love you,"_

Amu accepted and sung,

"_Without you everything is dark, _

_On my finger is your ring of love,_

_In my breaths are your breaths,_

_My everything is to your name,"_

Ikuto smiled, really smiled!

"_To the beautiful girl in my heartbeats, I salute,"_

Amu blushed,

"_Salute to love,"_

Ikuto wasn't done yet, with Kyo they sung,

"_To the lashes and kohl of your eyes, I salute,_

_To the dark, light, clouds of your tresses, I salute,"_

I paired with Amu as well,

"_I'm lost in my dreams, I've become crazy,"_

Kyo and Ikuto still weren't finished,

"_Oh, lovely, lovely, so lovely, to each of your styles, I salute,"_

All the girls got together to sing,

"_Salute to love, love, love, salute to love,_

_Salute to love, love, love, salute to love,"_

Now everyone sung,

"_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,_

_Salute to love, salute to,"_

Kyo finished up the song, leaving the music to finish,

"_Love, OH!" _

We danced around and I 'accidentally' pushed Amu into Ikuto. She blushed. Ikuto smirked.

"Okay, so the total scores were… Luci got a total of 30 points altogether. Ikuto also got a full 30. Kyo ranked next was 29.9. Closely followed by our newbie, Amu, with 29.8. Then Taki with 28.5. Next is Airi with 28.4. In second last place is Chiaki with 25 points. And last and the one with the least points is Kari with 24.7 points." DJ announced.

"Now for the round scores. In round one, the girls were a total of 37.7 and the boys won with a total score of 37.4. In round two however the girls were in the lead with 48.4 points closely followed by the boys at 46 points. In round three it was an actual tie. Both teams were at 36 points." Moira said.

"So the altogether scores are: Boys are at 128.4. And unfortunately… Girls have overall won with 132.9 points!" Charles continued to say.

"But WAIT! The pairing wins and losses are still to come. Okay, the girls unfortunately, really this time, only had eight wins. While the boys had 10 wins!" Irene said.

"Now we did slip a detail at the start: that the losing person in the pair, has to fulfil one act given by the person who won. So out of the full thing, out of Luci and Kyo, Luci won. Out of Amu and Ikuto, Ikuto won. Out of Airi and Taki. It was actually a draw. So nobody's doing anything there. And finally out of Kari and Chiaki, Chiaki won." Moira kept going.

"Since each win is worth two points the final score is 148.4 to 148.5." DJ said.

Everyone was silent.

"Congrats to the girls who were 0.1 points ahead of the boys!" Irene shouted.

I jumped up, "I told gals that we would win!"

I walked up to Kyo.

"Yes?" He asked half-pleasantly and half-menacingly.

"Well, about that thing you have to do…"

"Yes?" Kyo asked.

"I want you to… write a love song!" I said.

"That's it?" He asked trying to bluff his way out of it. He was a brilliant romantic and could put famous poets to shame but he couldn't blend his lyrics and his music.

"Write me a love song. You know, say you love me, say you love me, and then put it in a love song," I half sung the sentence.

"Of course." Kyo pondered for a moment but he'd accepted the challenge. He couldn't go back on his word. It was his age-old principle.

Amu's POV

NOBODY TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO TAKE AN ORDER FROM THE WINNER OF THE PAIR!! I silently yelled.

I dreaded the demand as I felt Ikuto approach me from behind, then lightly tap me on the shoulder.

I turned around, "What do you want?" I said, bored. Wanting not to care, trying not to care.

"About that thing you have to do…"

"What is it?! Just get it over with!" I said, frustrated.

"Last time you spent the day with me." Ikuto continued.

"Yes?" I had no clue what he was going to say from this, though.

"This time, I want you to spend the night with me." Ikuto whispered in my ear.

"WHAT?!" I shouted. Everyone turned to look and Ikuto had slid away and was now standing a few meters away. I chuckled, really embarrassed and everyone looked away.

Ikuto was back to his original position.

"Not in that way, perverted kid, I want to take you somewhere at night. And before you start, no this is not a ruse to get you to have sex with me. It won't be long but you have to stay from sunset until about 3AM in the morning." Ikuto said, assuring me.

"But – ," I cut myself off. I had that feeling again. That feeling of undoubted trust. I didn't want to but I trusted him.

"O-okay," I said. I couldn't help it. "When?" I asked. Was it possible to feel insecure and immense security at the same time?

"Tonight." Ikuto said. "I'll meet you at your house."

"But my parents will never allow it." I said to him.

"They won't ever have to know." Ikuto said. "Just say you feel bad and go to bed early. Leave the rest to me." As he said that, he smirked. That beautiful, signature smirk of his.

I had the hardest time resisting him already, if he was going to take me out... I didn't know how I would handle myself.

Ikuto's POV

"So, tonight at your place. I'll come to pick you up." I said, in an offering tone of voice.

"Okay." Was all the pinkette could say.

"It's a date then." I said as I turned from her. Tearing my eyes from her mind-blowing sight.

Everyone had left the room, I too exited, leaving the completely clueless Amu behind.

* * *

Aireen: Good? It's DONE!

Utau: Are you going to get back to the topic?

Aireen: Right, now I have things to complain about.

Utau: What?

Aireen: It's WOW OMG that Ikuto's back in the anime. But why did he have to practically 'hand' Amu over to the kiddy king?! He even invited him over and then left those two together! WHY COULDN'T THINGS GO LIKE THEY DID IN THE MANGA!

Oh that reminds me, Shugo Chara Encore's first chapter was UTAU and KUKAI and you two fell in love. At least something's going right.

Utau: Yeah, about that, I was just frustrated.

Aireen: Sure, like you weren't in love with Kukai from the start.

Utau: Get over it Aireen, we all know that your favourite fan pairings are Amuto and Kutau.

Aireen: YES THEY ARE!

Utau: Just try uploading faster this time.

Aireen: I will try. Please review!


	12. Amu and Ikuto did WHAT!

Aireen: I know it's been a while. Actually I can't remember the last time I uploaded a chapter.

Utau: I know, it's like your avoiding it.

Aireen: I'm NOT! It's just that I have a lot of stuff to do.

Utau: Yeah?

Aireen: Yeah. Anyways sorry everyone. I know everyone says to update soon. But I seriously haven't had any time at all.

So here's the twelfth chapter. It was going to be longer than this but I promise to write the next chapter with full concentration and finally bring the plot it.

I'm sorry guys. This one's really short.

Amu's POV

I was waiting in my room. For that stupid Ikuto. And that stupid order. Why didn't anyone say that there'd be something like this?

I looked out my window. It was sunset. He'd said that he'd be here at sunset. Maybe he forgot the way to my house, I hoped.

I rested my head on the windowsill. I stared up at the moon and slowly closed my eyes.

Ikuto's POV

Oh how cute, she was waiting for me. I waited a little longer and when I looked down from her roof, she was asleep on the windowsill.

I couldn't help but smile.

I stepped down onto her veranda. She had everything set up. She'd stuffed pillows under her blanket.

I moved closer to her sleeping self. I suddenly had the urge to touch her hair. I didn't know why. Stroke her silky hair… I suddenly had the remembrance of that line. I hadn't actually had a proper girlfriend before to whom I would think that.

Still I raised my hand and touched her soft, silky, smooth hair. I slid my hand down to her face and caressed her cheek.

Her cheeks coloured up. I jerked my hand away but I was assured that she was still sleeping.

My brow furrowed, how is she blushing while she's asleep?

It was then, that I decided that I wouldn't wake her up after all.

Her window was left widely open so I reached in and slid her small body into my arms.

She was so warm, like a hot water bag because… children's body temperatures were higher?

Where was I coming up with all these weird phrases? She was only a year younger than I was.

Why did she seem much younger than that?

I carried her bridal style and jumped back onto the roof. She didn't wake up.

She was easy to carry. Amu, huh? You are definitely going to be surprised. I jumped onto the next roof on my way to…

Amu's POV

I groggily opened my eyes, had I really fallen asleep? I blinked. Once. Twice. This was not my room.

I remembered staring at the moon and waiting for Ikuto. But…

I looked around. I was inside. It looked like a hotel room? I was far away from the door and the television. And there was a bedside table next to the bed I was sleeping on.

I had the sudden realisation that maybe someone kidnapped me! I jerked my head up to see Ikuto with a really sad? Guilty? Look on his face.

"What are YOU doing here?" I yelled.

He slowly turned his head towards me. "I, wait, you were the one who brought me here." He said, slightly confused.

"WHAT?"

"Wait, you don't remember?" Ikuto asked. He didn't seem pleased about it.

But what didn't I remember? Wait, I had only been asleep. Was I sleepwalking? No, I don't sleepwalk. But…

"Just tell me!" I snapped, very panicked right now.

"Um, well, I went to pick you up. You came with me and well there was a party at some Hotori Restaurant that you dragged me into. Then, well, you decided to have a drink. Orange juice. I think the bartender or someone must've spiked your drink because you went really weird after that. You started dancing, in ways that I didn't think you could dance and you, um, well, you said some really weird things to me about me," Ikuto's head turned away, he couldn't seem to look at me, "Then you pulled me outside and brought me to this bedroom and…"

I was befuddled. No way. Is he serious? "And what?" I screamed.

"And…" Ikuto just couldn't look in the direction of me anymore.

"What?" I whimpered. A part of me thought I knew what it was. And another part didn't want to know.

"And you forced…" Ikuto's voice became tight, he didn't seem to want to talk about it.

"What?" I said, biting my lip. Did we actually…?

Ikuto took a deep breath, "You forced me down and…"

"No! Did we actually…?" I was hyperventilating. I was so panicked. I couldn't stand the thought of losing my virginity to this jerk!

Ikuto turned his head towards me; his eyes were pools of sadness, "We did it." He said, repenting.

"No…" I threw my head into my hands. NO! I couldn't have. Impossible. What is this?

Luci's POV

"Can you please tell me why we are doing this again, Natsu?" Kyo nagged.

"Look, I just want to see what he does with her, it's kind of my job, as his older sister." I said, pointedly.

"He's 17, he's not gonna get raped or anything like that, what is your worry?" Kyo said. I'd woken him up a few hours ago to tell him that I was going. To spy on my little brother.

"Look, it's not that he's gonna get raped. I think he might rape that innocent little girl! Or at least feign it. To trick her. So that she'll be completely distraught, the poor thing." I sympathized.

"Man, you don't even know this girl that he's going out with, then why are you so worried about her?" Kyo yelled. What? He was the one who insisted on coming.

"Look, if she does become my sister in law, then I won't regret not saving her then. So yeah. Hurry up." I called to Kyo who was lagging behind.

He didn't answer and I looked back.

"_Its quarter to twelve, both of us are out from home,_

_What's going on? (What's going on?)_

_What's going on? (What's going on?)_

_The streets are all asleep, where are we going?_

_What's going on? (What's going on?)_

_What's going on? (What's going on?)"_

Kyo sang. An accusation at me! He was the one who wanted to come!

"_Did anyone, call you, here that, you just came?_

_I'll do what, i want, who are you to lecture me?_

_I'm going ahead, why are you following?_

_What's going on? (What's going on?)_

_What's going on? (What's going on?)"_

"I –," Kyo began.

"Ssshhh! I think I see them!" I cut him off.

Hotori Restaurant and Hotel. I read the sign at the top of the tall building.

It was the old place, owned by the half-French, half-Japanese, woman Lulu and her fully Japanese husband, Tadase Hotori. They had a daughter, Belinda Hotori, and a son, James Hotori, who were enrolled at our school.

I saw Ikuto and Amu in a room.

"See! See! I told you that he was going to do something! Or maybe they planned it out, the fools!" I said to Kyo.

"What if they're just hanging out?" Kyo asked.

"IF THEY WERE JUST HANGING OUT, THEY COULD GO ANYWHERE, I MEAN WE HAVE PLENTY OF ESTATES IN FRANCE, WHY WOULD THEY GO TO A HOTEL ROOM IF WE DO? BECAUSE THERE IS NO COMPANY OR PEOPLE TO DISTURB THEM!" I said menacingly.

"You're so paranoid. Why don't you just call him and ask him?" Kyo suggested.

"THAT'S IT! If I call him, he won't be able to proceed with it! Good idea, Kyo!"

I speed dialled Ikuto's number and waited for him to answer.

Three rings, four rings, five, six, seven, eight,

I waited. Tried again. Nothing.

"He's not picking up! He probably has it on silent or something. That's so annoying!"

I was frustrated. It pissed me off so much!

Kyo clasped my hand and squeezed it tightly, "It'll be fine, don't worry. Don't worry for Ikuto so much."

"I'm not worried for Ikuto, I'm worried for Amu. Ikuto will probably… you do remember what happened with Belinda Hotori? She couldn't look up at anyone for a whole week." I spilled out my worries to Kyo.

Kyo made an inelegant noise. I looked up to see him trying not to laugh.

"What?" I muttered angrily.

"Ikuto's not an idiot, and remember what that Hotori tried to do to him? She practically tried to rape him in front of the school! It was just his revenge, I guess." Kyo mumbled between laughs.

I couldn't help it. I remembered the sight of Belinda Hotori literally pouncing on to Ikuto on the stage when he was performing. It took tons of people to get her off. She'd torn his shirt down the middle.

I started laughing.

"It'll be fine; do you want to go now?" Kyo said.

"Where?" I whispered.

Kyo dragged me closer to him and whispered in my ear, "Wherever you want."

"Let's go to that ramen shop near our place." I told him, half ruining the mood he'd created.

Nevertheless, he threw me over his shoulder and jumped down from the roof.

"Let's go there like normal people." Kyo suggested.

"Okay." I said.

And we walked towards the ramen shop.

Ikuto's POV

I looked at the pinkette's face with my gaze of guilt. She was confused.

She couldn't believe that we'd done it. And she would deny it. Of course it was in her complete right. She didn't have to believe me. She just had to believe the look on my face.

She looked at me and then turned away, blushing.

She stared up into my eyes a second later, her eyes tearing up. I felt a sudden pang of true guilt.

Whenever I'd done this to a girl, I'd never felt this way when they would look up at me all teary-eyed. Why did this one make a difference?

"Amu," I whispered her name and my heart had a sudden feeling of release, as if I should just keep saying her name.

"We should go, now." I said to her, while standing up.

I lead her out of the window. "It's more fun this way."

She wasn't going to speak to me but I dragged her out anyway. I slipped up onto the roof of the building and pulled her up.

She immediately let go after it wasn't needed anymore.

"If we go this way, it should be faster." I told her. "Also, the place we're going-,"

"HOW CAN YOU PRETEND EVERYTHING'S FINE?" She yelled at me.

"What?" I asked, completely getting where she was coming from.

"HOW CAN YOU PRETEND THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE BETWEEN US! DOESN'T IT MAKE YOU THE LEAST BIT UNCOMFORTABLE?" Amu cried out to me.

I turned back to look at her face and when I saw it, as quick as thought, threw my arms around her.

I felt the need to protect her. I felt the need to comfort her. I felt the need to keep her from harm and insecurity.

I don't know what came over me but I couldn't let her go. I kept holding her. For a very, very, long time.

Her head was buried in my chest. My arms were around her. I could hear her heartbeat. I could feel her sobs. I felt her shaking in my arms. Silently crying.

When I came to my senses, I was about to withdraw my hands from her when I heard her quiet whimper.

"Don't let go." She pleaded.

This was the shortest one. I would have to tell her. I couldn't see her crying. I didn't want her to cry.

I didn't want her to feel embarrassed this way because of what I did.

"Listen." I told her.

"What?" She mumbled.

"We didn't do it." I said, with enough authority in my voice, to fool even my father.

"What do you mean?" The little strawberry asked.

"I mean that it was supposed to be a joke. To see if you were a hot slut like everyone says you are. It was honestly not meant to be taken this way. I see now that you're just a normal girl. Chill." I turned as I said this and didn't realize her reaction.

"YOU DID WHAT?" I turned back to her to see her flaming with anger. She was standing now. Her eyes were fiery and her cheeks were coloured.

I went back to her and patted her on the head. Then I laughed.

No, she definitely wasn't normal. She was definitely the most amazing person I'd ever met.

I smirked at her and she turned away from me.

I swept her off her feet, carrying her bridal style, and then I jumped onto the next roof.

She was still angry at me and wouldn't look at me when we got to our destination.

Aireen: And thus is the end of my twelfth chapter.

Utau: Update faster next time

Aireen: I will try!


	13. What is love?

Aireen: Thirteenth. The unlucky number.

Utau: So?

Aireen: Because some unlucky things happen in this chapter. Curious coincidence

Utau: Shut up and get on with it.

Aireen: Shush! You can't bring me down today Utau!

Utau: Yeah, Aireen does NOT own Shugo Chara

Ikuto's POV

I didn't mind that she was angry. In fact, I was trying immensely hard not to start laughing at her right then and there.

But I remembered the sadness in her eyes when she looked at me, I didn't know why her pain made my heart constrict.

I didn't know why, this girl, made the strings of my heart play.

She was everything.

The pinkette was still sulking and had yet to realise what our destination really was.

I covered the distance between us and spun her around.

"Welcome, to my secret playground." I said.

When she finally looked up, her eyes widened. As if in shock and excitement mushed together.

It was late at night, yet the lights were shining. Because, my family owned this park. My mother had had it designed especially to be a twin of one in Japan.

She said that her brother, my uncle who died before I was born, would always go there.

I had a sudden hit that my mother cared about her brother so much. Instead of all the other things she could've done with her money. She decided to build an amusement park in the memory of her brother.

"Ikuto, are you okay? You have the strangest look on your face." Amu asked. She seemed concerned. And had clearly forgotten that she was mad at me.

"Fine, lady, fine, yet I must say your sudden swings are quite amusing." I answered her, using the most prince-like voice I could muster.

Amu's cheeks filled with colour and she blushed twelve shades of pink. And as she realised the meaning of those words she turned her back on me. And it made my heart skip a beat.

"Nay, lady, I did not mean to anger you. But it is hard to resist the charm of your golden eyes."

"Why are you speaking like that?" Amu asked, she had genuine surprise on her face.

"If the bad boy approach didn't work, I thought I'd try the old style prince type. Like that loser, Edward Cullen." I despised the book. Even more so, that when she was reading it, my sister ignored me completely. So girly! Ugh!

Amu though, clearly liked it, considering the look on her face. Though, I wouldn't bother asking, she would be in complete denial, as usual.

"Are we going to stand here all day? What did you bring me here for?" She asked, irritated. She had complete reason to be. Yet it was amusing all the same.

"So you can go on the rides." I said, simply.

"Really?" She asked, desperately trying to conceal the excitement that shone through her beautiful eyes.

"Yes. No one else's here." I didn't know why I would have to tell her that. She seemed to be worried about keeping her soft inside covered from others. But still…

She didn't wait for me to finish. She went by herself. On all the rides. And her laughter lightened the burden on my heart.

Her simple little features were familiar to me in a way that I couldn't understand.

She was beautiful. She was cute. She was everything I could ever need. And yet I feared telling her.

I could joke with her. I'd tell her a thousand times and she'd not believe a word that exited my mouth. But that wasn't what I wanted.

But it would have to do.

When Amu had had her fun, she finally looked towards me.

"Don't you want to go on any rides?" She asked.

I laughed at the expression on her face and answered. "No, I have something to tell you."

"What?" She seemed cautious. She did NOT want to be caught off guard by me again.

"O Mistress mine, where are you roaming?

O, stay and hear; your true love's coming,

That can sing both high and low:

Trip no further, pretty sweeting;

Journeys end in lovers meeting,

Every wise man's son doth know.

What is love? 'Tis not hereafter;

Present mirth hath present laughter;

What's to come is still unsure:

In delay there lies not plenty;

Then, come kiss me, sweet and twenty,

Youth's a stuff will not endure."

"What?" Amu asked. I had not sung it. Just said it. She was surprised and did not understand what I meant.

"William Shakespeare, O Mistress Mine. You're going to study it next week at school." I said, weary. I was tired of giving hints.

"Oh. Is that all?" She asked.

"I'll take you home." Was all I said. I think my expression was cold because the cute strawberry seemed frightened.

I did. I took her home. Her parents had not yet found out about the pillows under her quilt.

And I went home.

When I got there. Luci-nee was waiting for me.

"Um, hi?" I greeted.

"Hi, so? How'd it go?" She said with malice.

"Um, what exactly?" I asked, playing dumb. It wouldn't work. She probably knew.

"You're midnight date. What else?" She laughed. She couldn't help herself.

She was probably laughing at the dumbstruck expression on my face.

When she calmed she joined me in the music room.

"Hey, listen, can I talk to you?" I asked her.

"Always." She told me.

"Um, I don't really know how to say this, but… and it feels really weird trying to say it to you. Um, I don't know. I just, there's this girl. She, she's, well let's say I haven't known her for that long and um, I guess I wanted to know whether or not you understand? Okay, look. I have this really weird feeling when I'm with her. It's as if I need her. As if she needs me. As if we've known each other before. And… well?" I stuttered. This was really hard to say.

"You know, Ikuto. I've heard that Kami-sama makes souls in pairs. And sends them to Earth, leaving their meeting to themselves. Knowing that, might explain why you feel that way. Everyone is made for someone, Ikuto. And some people aren't as lucky as you or me to find that someone. I know what you mean, because I feel the same way about Kyo. Maybe she does need you."

"But, why is it that whenever she feels sad or hurt, I can feel it. It's as if her pain is becoming mine."

"It's called love. True love. Let's be honest. We both know who this girl is, so don't hide it. It's Amu. You love her. And maybe she loves you too."

"But she's oblivious to everything." I commented. "There's no way she'll ever see."

"Hmm, you know what? I'll help you. First of all, act like all those charming book characters that I love. She'll be under your spell. And then we'll see… " Luci-nee laughed but I knew she was honestly going to help. She's just like that.

I was about to ask her something else but she was already making her way up and probably wouldn't hear me.

Amu's POV

I woke up the next morning with an aching head. I beat up my alarm clock furiously for waking me up.

Clearly I hadn't gotten enough sleep. Stupid Ikuto. He was an idiot.

I thought about the poem he'd recited for me. I wasn't sure what he meant. But I could still remember every word.

"Amu, get dressed, someone's here to see you." Mother called from downstairs.

"Um, sure." I yelled back.

I searched my cupboard for some decent clothes and placed them on the rack in my bathroom.

After the usual morning doings I went downstairs to find a blonde haired boy sitting at the dining table with my parents.

My mother looked like she was about to punch his head off and my dad was trying to hold her back with a look and be nice to him at the same time.

"Um, hi?" I mumbled, unsure.

"Oh, hi, darling, how nice you're finally awake." The strange boy said to me. 'Darling'? Ugh!

"Um, yeah, who are you?" I asked him in a light tone.

"Oh, honey, don't be silly, don't tell me you've forgotten your boyfriend already!" He said like a girl. Even his voice was girly.

"This is James Hotori, apparently, you're his girlfriend." My father said.

"Um, I don't even know the guy." I protested.

"Oh, sweetie, you're soooo silly! Haha! Why don't you just tell them, what happened between us?" I was getting pissed at this guy's girly voice calling me weird names.

"Mother, father, can we have a moment?" I asked them politely.

"Sure." My father said. My mother was still raging. She probably didn't want him in here in the first place.

I took the strange blonde haired man into my room.

"Okay, who are you and what do you want?" I asked him. Clearly we had never met. He's making up bull crap to mess with my head.

"I am James Hotori at your service, lady. As for what I want. That should be alarmingly clear to you by now, honey." His voice and tone wanted to make me chuck. Even though I hadn't eaten anything.

"Will you just tell me and get out. We've never met and you're telling my parents that you're my boyfriend. How stupid are you?"

"Well, I want you Amu. My father told me wonderful things about a girl named Amu. When I found out that you were studying at the school next to mine, I just had to meet you and make you my girlfriend."

I stared at him for a long while. He looked like the prince of my dreams. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Not too tall. Prince-like. While my outer character tried to push him away. I fell for his charm.

"Aye, lady, what is on your mind?" He even spoke like an olden style prince!

"Um is your dad a paedophile?"

He seemed taken aback by this.

"Nay, lady, he is not. His words were of a different lass of his time. I have reason to believe she is passed now." His voice was getting deeper. Was his voice breaking as we spoke?

Or maybe his gay voice had been a façade in front of my parents.

"Oh, coincidence then. Well, then. Um, I guess you're kind of cute." I had a sudden hit. What if he was really bad? No, I looked at him. He couldn't be bad.

"I gratefully thank you, lady, a compliment from you is unlike that from any other." His words were reeling me in.

Suddenly Ikuto flashed in my head. His smirking face. His concerned face. His smiling face. His regretting face. His laughing face.

I pushed him from my mind. I didn't know why I was thinking of him. The prince of my dreams was standing in front of me. Telling me that he wanted me. What was I to do?

"Um, so are you asking me out?" I asked, unsure of what his true intentions were.

"Aye, lady, you are correct. I love you. No simpler. And no more complicated. Will you go out with me?" He asked.

I didn't know what came over me. I needed to get away, to have some time with someone besides Ikuto. I just did. "James, I guess we can try." I said, lightening up.

James came closer and placed his arms around me.

Straight away my mind went to Ikuto. His arms around me. Comforting me.

It was very different here. I felt my heart racing at the thought and felt only joy at the touch.

"Then, from today forward, honey, you are my Amu, my girlfriend." James announced to the room.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^LATER^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I was on a date with James. The very first one. It was Sunday afternoon.

It was like a dream. Yet I didn't feel entirely, um, let's say, right.

James was like a prince. He was good at everything I'd seen him do. And he'd taken me many places. Sports clubs. Libraries. Shops. He'd helped everywhere he went. So nice.

Everyone complimented how nice he was.

We got to a park and I went to the fountain and sat on the edge. He joined me a few minutes later with some ice cream. He'd brought two vanillas. I didn't like vanilla. I liked chocolate but he didn't know.

I took it gratefully. I smiled at him. He smiled at me.

I looked into his eyes and saw that they were lighter in the afternoon sun. I didn't realize he was inching closer.

I was looking so hard in his eyes to find his soul that when he closed his eyes, I closed mine.

I didn't realise that he was about to do it.

He held my face with his hand and kissed me.

Not just a slight, lips only touching kiss. A full tongue kiss.

I was lost in shock for a few minutes trying to realize what was going on. My eyes were closed so it was a complete surprise.

Soon he left my mouth and asked, "Well, how did it feel?" He asked, his voice laced with insecurity.

I didn't want to hurt him so I said, "It was my first and it was great." I smiled.

And there was a part of me that wanted to wrench off James' head. A part of me that told me that what just happened wasn't right. It told me that this was the wrong person.

I didn't know, but someone was watching us…

Ikuto's POV

I was with Taki and Airi. We'd gone out to see a movie and were walking back.

"Um I've got nothing for lyrics this week." Taki was saying.

"Um me neither," Airi said.

"What? Do you expect me to do it two weeks in a row?" I questioned.

"Sure, why not? You sure have a lot of inspiration." Taki said winking.

I pushed him, "You two are in love, why don't you two have any inspiration?"

"Well, we're not newly in love." Airi said.

"We've been in love for ages." Taki said.

"Why does that make a difference? Kyouhei-nii and Luci-nee have been in love for longer than you two and they still manage to write mushy love songs for each other." I stated.

"True, they are sure the couple aren't they?" Airi said.

"It does seem like they were made for each other." Taki stated.

"That's because it is. They were made for each other. I swear, whenever she's about to fry me for doing something, all I have to do is mention that Kyouheii-nii is waiting for her and she'll skedaddle off to meet him. I tell you, that man is amazing." I said. It was 100% true too.

"Yeah, to be able to control a girl like that." Taki imagined, no doubt about how it would be like if he could in the least control Airi. But Airi was uncontrollable. She was perfectly free.

"Why don't you two lovebirds get me some ice cream while I wait here?" I told them to run off and leave me alone for a while. I needed to think if the lyrics were on me, then I needed inspiration. Inspiration, needed Amu.

I was about to head off to her house when something caught the corner of my eye.

I turned and saw the strangest sight of my life.

The geek loser James Hotori was kissing my Amu.

At first anger welled up in me like a volcano threatening to blow.

I calmed myself and felt the pain in my heart.

My heart constricted, tighter and tighter. I couldn't breathe.

When their mouths left each other, she smiled at him!

My heart was being stabbed right in the centre. Just by looking at the two of them my heart was bleeding.

I saw Amu's head twitch, she was about to look this way. I hid behind a large tree quickly.

I waited for a while and looked back to see whether Amu had moved. She had. I looked back.

And I saw Kyouhei-nii standing in front of me.

"You alright?" He questioned.

"Fine." I answered, my voice tight.

I turned from him and ran in the direction of my house.

I didn't stop at the front door either. I ran straight to the music room.

I snatched the guitar from the stand and started playing. The hardest, most complex melody.

As fast and hard as I could.

Luci's POV

My cell was ringing. I was applying nail polish and didn't care to answer it.

I looked at the caller ID and it was Kyo.

I picked it up straight away.

"Yes?" I asked seductively.

"Ah, no, not now! I need to talk to you about your brother." He said. His voice was full of concern and it alarmed me to the point of my heart racing.

"What is it?" I took deep breaths to calm myself.

"Look, I just saw, the new girl, Fujisaki. She was kissing James Hotori. Ikuto stood there and I couldn't watch his face. It was really paining." His voice told me exactly how bad it had been.

"Thanks." I understood and shut my phone.

Suddenly I heard the strum of a guitar.

Playing one of the most complex melodies and very fast. And loud.

I listened for a while longer and I could tell that he wasn't using a pick.

Ikuto was trying to hurt himself!

I ran to the music room and found the door locked.

I didn't have the key. Only mother did. She was gone with father and Maddie to walk the dog.

I went back to my room and called her.

"Mom, come home as soon as you can." I told her and didn't wait to listen to her reply.

I looked around for something hard enough to break the door.

I had nothing. I looked down. And realised that …

I went back and hit the door with the full force of my body.

It didn't open straight away. But I punched and kicked and shoved the door.

And when the bruises on my body became wounds, the door finally broke open.

I looked at Ikuto straight away.

His fingers were all bloody and he was still playing.

I ran to him, snatched the guitar from him and threw it to the ground.

I took his fingers into my hands.

His face was hard.

I started to sob, "Stupid! What are you doing? Huh? Look I know what happened. You can cry." I yelled at him.

He wouldn't. So I ordered him. "Ikuto, damn you! CRY!" I screamed.

I embraced him and he put his head on my shoulder and I could hear his sobs.

I could feel the tears falling.

He hugged me tighter. My body ached from the bashing of the door but I didn't mind.

"Ikuto," I said my voice shaking, "it's okay. I know how it stabs your heart knowing that someone besides you is touching her. Just don't think on it okay. Cry your heart out. Cry until you have no more tears to shed. Cry until the hurt inside you is gone." I consoled him.

Utau's POV

After Luci's call, I couldn't rest.

Kyouhei came running to us.

"Uncle, aunty, Ikuto might be in trouble. Come quickly." He said.

Kukai looked questioningly at me.

"Luci told us to come home quickly."

The three of us ran back, leaving Maddie with the dog.

We were tired out quickly but we went on and when we reached out house we heard sobs.

I ran up to the music room as fast as I could. But of course Kyouhei beat me there. He stopped at the door. Except that the door had been broken and thrown off its hinges.

I looked in and saw my two children sitting, embracing each other.

I saw Ikuto's head down and his fingers bloody and tears welled in my eyes.

I saw Luci's battered body from the back and the tears fell out.

I ran to my children.

Ikuto looked up and I saw his tear streaked face. Luci realised we had arrived and stood with Ikuto. I doubt that anyone here missed how she staggered trying to stand up even if she was amazing at covering that up.

I took Ikuto from Luci and hugged him tight.

Kukai came behind me and patted Luci on the head. He then took Ikuto's fingers in his hands.

"What did you do to them son?" he asked.

"Dad." Luci said.

I looked back to see that Kyouhei had embraced Luci and was scolding her quietly.

Kukai took Ikuto from me and hugged him.

I looked at my family. I was so proud of my daughter right then.

She was battered and beaten up. She'd broken the door down to get to Ikuto, I was betting.

I realised that I had the key to this room. Ikuto must've locked the door.

What could he have been thinking?

Why would he?

I looked at the guitar on the ground. It was bloodied on the strings. Ikuto played with his fingers until they were cut and bleeding.

Luci left Kyouhei and took Ikuto's hand and took him to the bathroom. She hugged him and cleaned his fingers.

She put ointment on his fingers and bandaged the bleeding ones while I watched.

She wouldn't let me help.

Luci definitely knew why Ikuto had done this. And anything Luci knew, Kyouhei knew.

After she was done, Ikuto like a little child grabbed his sister in his embrace and cried.

And seeing them, I cried too. Kukai touched my shoulder.

"There are some things, that I think we should leave to them. They will sort it out themselves." Kukai said.

I knew that. But still, "Listen Ikuto, Luci, no matter what, you'll always have our support. We'll be in our room." With that Kukai and I left.

When I'd closed the door of our room. I cried really hard. Like I hadn't in years and years.

Kukai hugged me like he always did. And held me like that until I calmed down.

Ikuto's POV

I didn't know why. I couldn't tell my mother. And so again I broke in my sister's arms.

She took me without complaint. She'd bandaged my fingers but she knew that the real pain wasn't there at all.

I knew she was hurt and yet my selfishness took over and I cried in her arms.

I felt like a baby. How stupid. I was seventeen years old. I shouldn't have been crying.

And especially not in my injured sister's arms. Where was my pride?

Gone.

I knew Kyouhei-nii was watching but I didn't care. He came over and rubbed my back.

"I know how you feel, Ikuto. Not to the exact measure but I have more of an idea than her at what you're feeling." He said.

I couldn't think.

I didn't understand why it had to be this painful.

It was just a kiss.

Who knows? Was it even serious? It could've been a dare.

But none of that entered my mind at the moment.

Only one thing. That the one girl that I love was in someone else's arms. Her mouth was on someone else's mouth.

Luci's POV

I hurt. All the wounds and bruises on my body throbbed. Kyo was going to harsh on me.

But Ikuto was hurt so much deeper.

And Kyo understood that. I remembered the dare that hurt him so deep that he had to confess to me.

A boy in my class had to kiss me on the cheek. I didn't want it and was really uncomfortable. But what made me cry was the expression of Kyo's face after watching it.

He'd taken me out of the classroom and to the roof of the building. He'd held me for ages and told me that he never wanted me to anyone else's. He wanted me to be his. And that he loved me.

Ikuto was hurt almost in the same way. Except that Amu smiled after the kiss. That meant she had enjoyed it. Or at least was acting. And I knew exactly how Kyo felt. It was horrible.

Ikuto experienced it on a whole new level. To a much higher measure.

I kissed his forehead and held him tight.

Ikuto's pain was so great.

_Why? Why Kami-sama why? Why must you curse my brother with such pain and anguish? Why must he suffer? I will give anything to see him smile! Take anything from me but give back my brother's happiness! _

I closed my eyes and felt the tears escape them. Kyo wiped them from my face and I looked up at him.

He gave me a look and I realised that Ikuto had cried himself to sleep.

Kyo assisted me in carrying my brother to his room. We laid him down on his bed and covered him with the quilt.

I sat next to him and stroked his dark hair.

"What has she done to him?" I asked Kyouhei.

"What you did to me." He answered.

"But, Ikuto's so… strong. He's like you." I said helpless.

"Exactly, he needs the same cure. When this happened to me, you were there, you consoled me. You helped me get over it. He needs her, more than anyone else, to cure this." Kyo said.

"Kyouhei, I don't know what I can do." I only called him Kyouhei when I was extremely serious.

"You need to get her for him." Kyouhei said simply.

I sobbed and couldn't get the words out. What if she didn't love him the way he loved her? But Kyo understood.

"Natsu, you are the strongest person I know and you will make her do it if you have to." Kyo told me.

Kyo embraced me. "Natsu, I love you more than I can explain or say and if he loves her the same way then we will find a way. You are injured. Let me heal your wounds."

Kyouhei's POV

I felt so proud of Natsu right now. She was beaten, battered, hurt, injured and yet she was there for her brother.

I knew the pain that Ikuto felt. The pain of having your sweetness kissed by another.

And I knew the only thing to heal him would be if Amu, like Natsu, consoled him.

"Heal my wounds?" Natsu asked between sobs.

I smiled down at her and kissed her gently.

Next to us I saw Ikuto twitch. He was having a nightmare.

"I have kept my word and prepared a song for you, sweetness, and it will be a lullaby for your brother as well."

It had taken time and effort to create the song. And the lyrics were my own. Words that I can only express through music had been the key.

I only hoped it would help.

"_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised, _

_Thank you God, God be praised,"_

Natsu's eyes lit up like candles and she smiled. Her smile made my heart pound.

"_When my eyes met yours,_

_The atmosphere fragranced like heaven,_

_When my lips touched yours,_

_Prayers rained from the sky,_

_Such is our love,_

_Such is the essence of our devotion,_

_That both worlds welcome us,"_

"_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,"_

Natsu was still smiling at me and stroking Ikuto hair and face.

"_In your arms my body brightened,_

_In your breath I found my peace,_

_How can I stay separated from you?_

_I came so close to you,_

_That your dreams became mine,_

_Such is the way i fell in love,_

_Such is the mercy of Him,_

_Every complaint is no more,_

_And the two worlds welcome us,"_

"_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,"_

I nodded at Natsu and she knew exactly what I wanted.

"_O Kami-sama, Thank you God, _

_O Kami-sama, Thank you God,"_

Natsu had the voice that was greater than an angel's.

"_In your shade i found all happiness,_

_Your will is my life,_

_Take me wherever you wish,_

_Yes, yes, in my eyes there is your sight,_

_My mornings and evenings are yours,_

_If you're not there then where am I?_

_My luck started shining,_

_After attaining your love,_

_Both the worlds welcome us," _

Of course, the chorus was still mine.

"_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Whoa~_

_(Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,_

_Thank you God, God be praised,)"_

Natsu mouthed thank you at me as she kept her hand on her brother.

She was so worried. I would have a hard time forgiving the cause, not Ikuto, Amu.

It was her fault that Ikuto had become like this. It was her fault that Natsu was hurt and tearful.

And Ikuto is like a brother to me. We'd grown up together and we had so many memories. It was as if this family was my own. Since I was an only child, Ikuto had been the only real sibling I'd ever had. Natsu of course had another relation to me.

I looked down at Ikuto and saw that he had calmed.

His face was relaxed and at least in sleep that girl didn't hurt him.

"Natsu." Her name was like balm on my lips, sweet and healing.

"I'm fine, Kyo." She whispered softly. Her breathe was like a caress against my skin.

"No, you are not." I insisted. "I will get you some ointment."

"Don't leave me, please, Kyo." She begged. Her voice shook and her hand trembled.

She was shaken by her little brother's tears. I looked back and took her in my arms again.

"I will never leave you." I told her.

She clutched my arm with one hand. The other was still at Ikuto's care.

"I love you, Kyo. Thank you." Natsu said.

My chest tightened. Natsu was hurt this bad. I felt the anger well inside me and knew that I couldn't direct it at anyone.

"It's fine. You need not say it." I uttered.

I knew how much pain was locked inside Natsu still. I could feel it in me. I could feel her hurt as if it were my own and I knew why she was hurting this way.

She had not a care of the wounds on her body, though they bothered me immensely.

She had care of only her brother then. And her brother, my brother, was dying a thousand deaths in the memory of his adored one.

I clenched my fist.

"Kyo, don't tell my parents. I'll tell them when this is all over." Natsu spoke, barely. Even if tears weren't falling from her eyes anymore, her voice was rough and hurt.

A message came to Natsu's phone and I looked at it, knowing that she was too weak right then.

Luci; hey, um, do u know where Ikuto is? Coz he was with us but then he left. We've been looking for him ever since but he's no where to be found. Airi.

I had a thought then. I took out my phone.

Airi; listen, it's Kyouhei, Natsu is too upset right now. Ikuto's here. He's not really in a very good state. Come to his house, I'll explain. Kyouhei.

A few minutes later I heard the doorbell. That was sure fast. Natsu looked up.

I gave her an assuring look and went downstairs before uncle and aunty could to open the door.

"What happened to Ikuto?" Airi asked. Her face was in a mask of worry.

"Come, I'll show you." I told them.

Taki was silent but there was a twitch of his eye that gave away his feelings.

They followed me back upstairs and into Ikuto's room. I didn't let them go in, but I let them look from the door.

I watched the horror on their expressions. They knew Ikuto never needed help but they were even more shocked seeing Natsu cry over him. Trying to console him.

I took the two of them into Natsu's room.

"How did this happen?" Taki's voice was tight.

"I'll explain. You know that Ikuto loves the new girl, Fujisaki Amu, right? Well today, he saw her kissing another boy and then smiling afterwards." I knew that Airi was a good friend of Amu's. And I knew that she was a closer friend to Ikuto.

"Why? How could she?" Airi stuttered. Taki took hold of her hand.

"Will he be fine?" Taki asked.

"He will not be like before but, he will be better than now." I told them.

Airi and Taki, after I explained that I would stay, left.

I called my mother quickly and told her that I would be staying at Natsu's house tonight.

Of course, my mother didn't mind if it was Natsu's place.

She knew as did everyone else that I loved Natsu and she loved me.

And they knew how close we were.

I went back to Natsu.

"I'm sorry. Taki and Airi came." I told her.

She nodded. "I heard them."

Suddenly fire caught in her eyes, "Amu will pay for making Ikuto like this. Until she makes him better I will not even look at her. She doesn't know him. He doesn't know her that well. Why are all love stories so painful?" She asked me. Towards the end the fire had calmed.

I felt such pain in my heart to see her like this I couldn't stop myself from embracing her.

"Because they are tests to see whether or not it is true." I told her.

She melted into the contours of my body and lay there. Her one hand still stroking Ikuto's hair.

She needed to know that he was fine first of all.

She is my heaven, my wealth, my request, my answer, my heart, my relief, my greatness, my earth, my universe, my life, mine and only mine and I saw Kami-sama in her.

I saw Kami-sama within her. Her every little feature. Every little style. Every little word was beautiful. Her fragrance, her complaints, her little worries, her smiles, her eyes.

If I saw her for one moment upset like this again, I would NOT be responsible for my actions.

Luci's POV

_I was in a hall. It was very big. And yet. I could see every little detail of it. I looked around and found Ikuto. But he was chained to a wall! And with knives, Amu was stabbing him. In the same place, over and over again. _

"_STOP!" I yelled at her. "STOP!" I yelled again. _

_She was oblivious to everything. Even to the fact that she was stabbing him. _

_I ran to Ikuto. I stood between him and Amu and the blade of the knife would have gone through me if Kyouhei hadn't stood in the way. _

"_KYOOOOOO!" I cried in anguish. _

_I took the knife out of his body and took him in my arms. _

_He opened his eyes. "Ikuto" He whispered. _

_I turned and saw that Ikuto was about to be finished too. _

"_STOPPPPPPPPPPP!" I screamed. _

"_No! Don't hurt him! No!" I cried out. _

_I didn't know what to do, Kyo was dying, Ikuto was dying. _

_I couldn't live. _

_But I couldn't let Amu live. _

_But she came at me and I went at her with knives._

_We were just about to clash when…_

I jolted up. My breathing was fast and my heart was racing.

Kyo was still holding me tightly. He was asleep. I sighed in relief.

Then I looked to the other side. I saw Ikuto. My hand was in his hair. And his hand had, in his sleep crept up to clasp it.

I smiled at the two people I loved most in the world. Without them, I was destroyed.

I realised I was sweating and would have gotten up to wash myself but I was being held by two sleeping boys on both sides. I couldn't move.

I shook in laughter of my helplessness.

Kyo was up like a lightning bolt.

"Are you okay?" He asked with concern. His voice rough and sleepy.

I laughed, "I'm fine, go back to sleep."

He squeezed me tight and drifted back to sleep.

Aireen: Well, how was it?

Utau: Can I go?

Aireen: That's mean!

Utau: Uh-huh, really?

Aireen: Shut up! I don't care.

Utau: What's gotten you in such a good mood.

Aireen: Nothing. Nothing at all.

Utau: No seriously

Aireen: It's my holidays!

Utau: oh, that means you'll be writing a lot?

Aireen: Sure, why not?


	14. What is love? 2

Aireen: Okay, I take back what I said last time.

Utau: You should, you said you would write more.

Aireen: Look, I'm sorry. I wasn't here. I went overseas.

Utau: So?

Aireen: And I only just came back. This chapter is a bit short. 14 already.

Utau: Yeah, how far along the real plot are you?

Aireen: Honestly, I can't even remember anymore.

Utau: Aireen does NOT own Shugo Chara.

Ikuto's POV

I didn't know when I'd drifted to sleep. But I knew it was morning now.

I forced myself to open my eyes. And as I opened them. All the pain came crashing down on me, trying to crush me with its weight.

But I felt something protect me. I realised I had clasped someone's hand. That hand was touching my hair.

I looked to my left and saw my sister asleep next to me. The way her other hand was set told me that Kyouhei-nii had also been here.

I looked around. He wasn't there. But I heard sizzling from the kitchen. It was probably him. He wouldn't leave Luci-nee while she was hurt.

I looked to her again and saw that her wounds had not been treated. I got up.

"Ikuto!" Luci-nee shot up. Her eyes were instantly open and she was already alert.

She had yelled loud. I heard Kyouhei-nii run to the room. He came in and saw us.

"So you're finally awake." He said.

"Yeah," I stated.

"Jeez, Ikuto, give me a freaking heart attack!" Luci-nee complained. Her body had relaxed and was probably aching.

I got out of bed and fell to my knees in front of my sister. She was worried and instantly came down with me.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you yesterday." I whispered.

Luci-nee stroked my hair and hugged me close, "Troubling over you is my right, stupid!"

Kyouhei-nii I could see was smiling at us.

"Anyway, I sent your parents off for a vacation. For a week or two. And I told them that you'd be perfectly the same as before when they return." Kyouhei-nii said.

I sighed in relief, at the very least, they wouldn't be here to see my ruined state.

I felt like stone. Like the life had been drained out of me.

Luci-nee stood up and I stood with her.

"We're getting to school in one hour so hurry." Kyouhei-nii said. He was already dressed and ready to go.

Luci-nee hesitated to leave me. But I gave her a reassuring smile and she quickly left.

After about ten minutes I was done having a shower. My fingers were stinging but I could hardly feel it. I was still in a towel and Luci-nee hurried back in. She laid my clothes out for me and redid the ointment on my fingers and the bandages.

Kyouhei-nii came to help me get on my long pants when Luci-nee told him that I was having trouble. Then Luci-nee came in and did the top half. She dressed me, put all the right books in my bag and packed my lunch.

Luci-nee's wounds had been treated. Kyouhei-nii probably didn't let her say one word after her shower while he treated them.

We ate breakfast together and Luci-nee and Kyouhei-nii took me to school with them. Kyouhei-nii was driving and we picked up Airi and Taki as well.

"Are you okay?" Airi demanded of me.

"I'm fine," I reassured her.

She took one look at my bandaged fingers and yelled, "What have you done to them?"

"Your fingers…" Taki started.

"Let's drop it, okay. Ikuto's not playing any instrument this Friday. He'll only sing if he wants to." Luci-nee commanded.

Her tone was firm and her voice was steady. Airi and Taki didn't have a chance against that voice.

"We have arrived." Kyouhei-nii said.

The five of us slowly got out of the car. I laughed at my helplessness. I couldn't hold a pencil properly, much less write, today.

I was stilled worried though, I had shaken my sister enough that she would be drowned in concern the whole day while she did not see me.

I saw Luci-nee talk to Kyouhei-nii and turned my back. I knew what they were saying still.

"Look after him for me." Luci-nee cried.

"Of course, he is as much my brother as yours." Kyouhei-nii consoled. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and stroked her hair.

"Okay then I'll go with Airi." Luci-nee said. She looked to me and smiled. She came to me, with a slight limp that no one but Kyouhei-nii and I could tell, and ran her hand through my hair.

"If you need anything, just call me or Kyo, okay?" Nothing could conceal the pain she felt. The concern was shining through her eyes. I nodded.

I tried to give her a real smile but she stopped me, "I understand why you can't." She said quietly.

The warning bell went and Airi and Luci-nee rushed off to their school. Kyouhei-nii looked to Luci-nee and sighed, she was hurt and trying to walk fast. He squinted his eyes and they didn't leave her until she had safely walked in the door of her building. He and Taki dragged me inside and Taki took me to the first class. English.

Amu's POV

I hadn't been able to sleep last night. My mind was plagued by that kiss with James and … Ikuto.

I couldn't help but feel guilty about kissing James. It had not been amazing. It had not been as great as I wanted it to be.

I wanted someone or something that could make me forget Ikuto completely. He was the only one that made me feel strange the way he did.

The things he did were childish and stupid and he was an idiot… but he was actually concerned.

Or at least, I'd like to make myself believe that he actually did regret lying to me.

I didn't want him! I didn't need him! I wouldn't think of him! I decided.

But as I got ready for school, I realised how wrong those statements were.

All I knew was that I had to get him out of my head.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

When I got on the school bus, Airi wasn't there. Maybe she wouldn't be at school.

I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to tell her that I had a boyfriend. I wanted to tell her that I'd gotten over Ikuto. Although she never even knew I was into Ikuto. I would tell her.

I had a sudden pang in my mind that Airi was definitely closer to Ikuto than to her. How would I tell her?

Oh well. I was in a carefree mood now.

I ran inside the school building when the first bell rang. I grabbed my books and headed off to class.

When I got in class Airi wasn't sitting at her usual place, she had swapped with another girl for the window seat and was staring out towards the boys' school. Probably thinking of Taki.

She liked him, clearly. I wondered if they had confessed. Probably not. Airi didn't seem like the type to confess. She would just mistake love for friendship or something like that.

I took that my years of reading manga were paying off in helping me decide the character of people.

But maybe not. I mean not everything can be like a manga right?

I knew that yesterday was.

When the baddie had betrayed me and then joked with me (Ikuto) I was distraught (kind of, more pissed really) and then my prince had come and saved me (James) and we lived happily ever after, after sharing a kiss.

I smiled but still there was a small part of me that was growing bigger by the second that told me that it was wrong to think of Ikuto that way and James _that _way. But I locked it in a corner of my mind and forgot about it.

During all the classes before recess, Airi didn't talk to me. She didn't even look at me. Was she really that in love?

Or was it something else?

Had I done anything to anger or upset her?

I couldn't think of anything I'd done to her.

When the bell for recess rung, I raced out of the classroom and towards the gate that separated the girls' and boys' schools.

James said he would meet me at recess today and introduce me to some of his friends.

I didn't fully notice the look that Airi gave me when she saw me with him. I had seen it out of the corner of my eye and wasn't exactly sure what it had been.

When I reached the gate, a few hundred meters away were Taki and Airi. I saw Luci duck under the gate and run for the boys' building after listening to something that Taki had said.

I wondered what it was but I couldn't ponder for long. James came to me with his friends. They were all guys. They weren't tough or powerful. They weren't even slightly buff. They were lanky, skinny, short and definitely couldn't compare to James.

"Um, hi," I said to them.

"Whoa! James, you gave away your first kiss to a beauty like this?" One of the guys said. He was the shortest, had freckles and glasses with newly cropped short brown hair.

"Hmm, she's quite sexy." I blushed and turned. The guy who said this was the tallest of the group and thus the lankiest. He had blonde hair and dark eyes. His skin was slightly more tanned than the rest of the bunch.

"Do not speak like that of my girlfriend!" James ordered his friends. "She is an angel sent from above to guide me into the realm of love." James soothed romantically.

I smiled at him, turning around.

Somehow, I didn't get a deep feeling. I'd always thought, that when I get a boyfriend, I would have that deep feeling from my heart. When I saw my prince I should have had a feeling that told me that, yes, this is the man of your dreams.

He ordered his friends away, much like a prince and I stared into his eyes.

I tried to find his soul, to see in his eyes and get the deep feeling that I got when…

I didn't want to admit it but it was Ikuto's. Ikuto's eyes were mirrors of his soul and were beautiful to the point that it made me want to cry.

"James, help me forget everything." I requested James.

I didn't want to think of Ikuto anymore. I wanted to move on with my life. And I knew that being with Ikuto wasn't the way it was going to work anymore.

James did as he was told. He tried to take my mind from me by showing, or telling or even doing things. He kissed me about three times.

"Have you forgotten?" I felt mercy upon him and answered.

"Yes, thank you," The second warning bell rang and I ran to my next class.

Luci's POV

All during the classes before recess, I couldn't concentrate. I was thinking of Ikuto. It wasn't as if when a teacher asked me a question, I couldn't answer it.

I could and did; it was just that I was extremely worried for Ikuto.

When the bell for recess rang, I jumped out of class and dashed towards the boys' building. Being the School Captain, I had special privileges about going into the buildings.

I saw Airi and Taki talking in the field and stopped to talk to them.

"Taki how's Ikuto?" I asked.

"He's alright, you can say. He couldn't concentrate. He couldn't write, so the teachers let him off. He'll still have to do the end of topic test but I wouldn't worry about it. Also, his face was hard and he wouldn't even smirk at jokes." Taki explained.

I lifted my head to see the room he was in. He would be taking longer than anyone else to clean up.

I could see him, I'd read his timetable and knew which room his classes were in, and with him was Kyo!

I ran to the building and up the stairs, because waiting for the lift was too long, and to the classroom.

By the time I got there, Ikuto and Kyo were almost done packing up.

I went to Ikuto and hugged him.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Fine." He said bluntly.

I pulled away and put my hand on his face. I smiled.

"Really?"

Ikuto was silent for a moment but then answered, "No."

I was slightly shorter than Ikuto so it was hard to reach my lips to his head when he was standing. But I tip toed and did.

"You're really strong." I told him.

"And you don't need to worry so much, Natsu, I'm here for him when you can't be." Kyo said, smiling a jesting smile.

"Yeah. He really is you know, sis, he's pretty good at consoling, even better than you sometimes." Ikuto said, smirking, the first time since the incident.

"Oh, really?" I said, with a façade of being pissed. I grabbed his ear and tugged.

"Ow, ow, okay, okay, I get it. Stop, Luci-nee!" Ikuto begged jokingly.

I laughed. Kyo laughed. Ikuto laughed.

I looked at the watch on my left wrist. It was almost time for the bell.

I took Ikuto's bandaged fingers into my hands and kissed them.

I kissed Kyo on the cheek and headed out.

"Wait," Ikuto and Kyo said simultaneously.

My body stopped of its own accord.

"You might try to hide it, but you can't." Kyo said.

I knew what he was talking about. My legs wounds were aching, even more so when I tried to walk.

I couldn't walk properly. But I did a pretty good job of covering up my limp.

But to the eyes of Ikuto and Kyo, it was blatantly obvious.

"We'll walk you back." Ikuto said.

"Uh, huh, will you now?" I asked.

"Yes," They said together.

I bolted for the stairs and ran down as fast as my injured legs could carry me.

I was halfway down when Ikuto and Kyo caught me.

Kyo threw me over his shoulder and I thrashed against him.

"This is unfair, this is injustice!" I jestingly protested.

Kyo was walking towards the girls' building and Ikuto was walking beside us.

Ikuto laughed. "If this were injustice then letting people die would be justice."

"No! You're both sexist! Just because I'm a girl!" I cried melodramatically.

Kyo was most likely smirking now. I couldn't see his face, but knowing him, he was.

"And what a chauvinist world this is, my dear." Kyo chuckled.

"Hey, Ikuto." Taki called from where he was with Airi. Ikuto took my hand and kissed it playing the game but then left the two of us.

"You're sure fast with me on top of you." I stated to Kyo.

"Oh, and do you know why no one's staring at us?" Kyo laughed.

"Why?" I questioned, playfully.

"Because we do it all the time." Kyo explained.

Before I knew it and just as the warning bell went off, Kyo put me down in front of my locker.

We were really close. So close that I could feel his breath. I could smell his shampoo.

I started to pull away and was pulled back to him. Something was pulling at my neck.

I looked down to see that our chains had tangled.

We untangled them. My chain was a gift from him. A locket. Inside was a picture of my family. And another of him.

His chain was like mine. It had a locket inside with had a picture of his family and me.

I went to turn away but I still couldn't move away. My hand was caught somewhere.

Kyo held up his hand. My watch was caught to his cuff.

I took it out quickly. A gust of wind blew into the corridor as more and more students came in.

Kyo and I were still standing really close.

I went to move away again but something tugged on my hair from the back.

I turned back to scowl at my best friend and lover but I saw that my hair was tangled around his shirt's top button which was undone.

He untangled my hair and went to leave when someone bumped into him, pushing him into me.

But before we could both fall to the ground, he caught himself and me.

We straightened up and the second warning bell went off.

Kyo didn't turn to leave so I turned him. Tip toed, leaned over his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek and gave him a push towards the door.

He turned back and blew a kiss at me and then ran off back to his building.

I stood there smiling until I saw him get back in.

I got my books quickly and hurried to my next class but not before I saw something truly disgusting.

Ikuto's POV

The day started to be hell in class. All I could think about was _her_.

I knew I didn't have a single right over her. I knew that it wasn't my place to be thinking about her like this but I had no control over myself.

Everyone asked what I did to my fingers, DJ, Charles, Jon, Beau, Cecil, Dante, Eric, Fidel, Jovan and even our teacher, Mr. Myron

I wasn't writing anything. But it wasn't a big deal. I never took notes anyway.

I took ages to pack up my books and sighed in relief when Kyouhei-nii came in and decided to help me.

Luci-nee also had come and by her condition it was blatantly obvious that she had ran the whole way.

She'd known of my condition by none other than Taki, and she'd come to console me. She hugged me and kissed my head.

She also joked and I actually smirked.

Kyouhei-nii and Luci-nee were the only ones who came close to be able to break me out of the haze I was in.

Kyouhei-nii carried Luci-nee over his shoulder all the way into the girls' building and to her locker.

I'd left them half-way and joined Taki in walking back.

Kyouhei-nii came in after the second warning bell and I asked him what happened.

I even tried to look out of the window. But Kyouhei-nii stood in my way and threatened that he would carry me all the way to my next class if I didn't quit it.

Nothing big. I would just check the school's camera system later.

I would find out what they did.

Normally I couldn't care less but involving me in my sister's love life was a way to get her out of my head.

The classes passed dreadfully slowly after that. And at lunch I bumped into James Hotori.

Anger bubbled within me and I felt like wrenching the guy's head off.

His gang of geek losers could go along with him.

I would have punched the guy out but Kyouhei-nii came along with a few of his friends, Marc, Nicolas, Pierre and Raul.

Kyouhei-nii pulled me along until we were far away from the loser kid.

"What?" I asked, weary.

"You were about to start with that kid weren't you?" Kyouhei-nii asked.

"Maybe I was." I replied.

"Not now, not here. Later." Kyouhei-nii ordered.

I couldn't out and out refuse him so I just nodded and glared at the loser kid who stole my Amu.

I took out my lunch from my bag that Luci-nee had packed and Kyouhei-nii had made.

Kyouhei-nii was a brilliant cook. But I didn't feel in the least hungry right then.

"It's not that bad. Its still edible," Kyouhei-nii said, seeing me stare at it.

Kyouhei-nii bid farewell to his friends and took me up to the rooftop of the building.

There, Luci-nee was waiting.

"Well, well, you two finally show up, huh? I must admit I just got here myself, but I thought you'd be waiting for me." Luci-nee complained.

"Let's just say that Ikuto was about to pummel the life out of Hotori." Kyouhei-nii laughed.

Luci-nee said itadakimasu and began to eat her lunch.

Kyouhei-nii joined her.

When they saw I wasn't eating, Luci-nee came up to me.

She took the lunch out of my hands and unwrapped it.

It was a sandwich. She tore a piece off and motioned for me to open my mouth.

When I didn't, she pulled my head in her direction and stared into my eyes deeply.

Luci-nee looked just like a younger version of my mother. Her smirk was different. And my sister's eyes were my dad's. She had a beautiful colour of green for her eyes.

Before I realised it, I was chewing a piece of the sandwich.

I snapped back into reality. Luci-nee was laughing.

She kept feeding me until I was done and then asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Dunno." I shrugged.

"Wait, I'll be right back." Luci-nee called, and then giving Kyouhei-nii a quick peck on the cheek.

I watched as my sister went down the stairs.

"Kyouhei-nii?" I called.

"Yeah, Ikuto, what is it?" He replied.

"Well, how exactly did it feel when Luci-nee was kissed by someone else?" I questioned.

"It's hard to explain. I prefer not to think of it as much now but it was definitely the most pain I'd felt ever. It was weird. Coz it was rage mixed with guilt and with sorrow. Rage, because someone else was kissing her. Guilt because I didn't do a single thing to stop him. And sorrow because it wasn't me. It wasn't Natsu's fault. It was a dare. She started crying afterwards and then, well, it urged me to tell her everything." Kyouhei-nii explained.

"Say, if she wanted it. If she hadn't been upset afterwards. What would you have done?" I asked.

"I don't know. It's been so long that I'm expecting her to stay forever in my life. It's been so long that I don't know what life would be like without her. Look Ikuto, when you love someone, they steal your heart. Your heart is still in your chest but it doesn't beat without her. I know that if anything were to happen to Natsu, if she… died, then I know that my heart wouldn't beat any longer. If she were to die, I know that I would die as well. Because she is the beat of my heart. And even you know, that without the beat of your heart, you can't live." Kyouhei-nii expressed his feelings in words well.

"Is there any way to get your heart back? To undo love?" I needed to know.

"I've never tried. I've never ever tried. I never needed to. But I don't think there is. How can you steal back your heart? How can you steal back your heartbeat? You can't. The only thing you can do is think good of her. If you stay away from her, having the excuse of her pain, it's the only way. The only way I could ever stay away from Natsu would be if I caused her pain. I would go away by my own choice. Listen Ikuto.

Love is selfish and greedy but it causes people to become selfless and giving."

"I asked Luci-nee this before but, what is love? How does it work? Why does it do things that are… weird?" I needed to know.

"Well, Aristotle quotes that, 'Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.'. And Sam Keen said that, 'You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.' Alexander Smith says, 'Love is the discovery of ourselves in other, and the delight in the recognition.' Mark Twain thinks, 'Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired,' and Robert Heinlein reckons that, 'Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own,' Ikuto, there are many definitions of love.

I think love is simply the theft of your heart, mind and soul. Natsu is mine, Ikuto and I am hers. She has my heart and mind and soul. I think it's why you can never get that girl out of your head. And without her, you're just a body." He quoted famous peoples' definitions of love.

His definition was much simpler.

"You're better at this than Luci-nee, for sure. She said that Kami-sama makes souls in pairs and that we're left to meet on Earth. She said that you feel their feelings. She said that everyone is made for someone."

"She's right isn't she? See, when Amu's hurt, or crying, can't you feel it in your chest? It screams at you and tells you to go and comfort her. Take away all her pain. Because your happiness depends on hers doesn't it?" Kyouhei-nii laid out love for me.

"So if Natsu were to go away to like Japan tomorrow, you would _need_ to go with her?" I made sure whether I got it or not.

"Look, don't get me wrong Ikuto. Thomas Fuller said that 'Absence sharpens love, and presence strengthens it.' If she is far away from me I will feel the pain of not seeing her each day. But that is what sharpens love. But I wont die if she is in Japan and I am here. It doesn't matter what the distance between our bodies, because our souls, hearts, and minds are together always.

Okay, it would be different if she suddenly said she hates me and then walked away. She could be two meters from me but I would die then and there. Theoretically. Because she will have walked away with my heart, mind and soul. My body would become a breathing corpse.

Also, love is sacrifice. The fact that you would do anything for her. That I would do anything for Natsu is sacrifice. Let's say, if I was doing something really important. Like, doing homework due the next day at three in the morning and Natsu called me, on a whim, and wanted me to come over, I would. So the homework and school reputation has been sacrificed. That was a very bad analogy but you get the idea don't you. In each and every love story.

Let's take Romeo and Juliet as an example. She sacrifices her family wealth and family relationships for him and vice versa as well. It's little things too, like sacrificing watching your favourite match or TV show for her. Anything." Kyouhei-nii explained.

I thought about Kyouhei-nii's eloquent words. Kyouhei-nii was definitely knowledgeable. He knew many things about many things.

Or maybe he knew love inside out because he was also as curious as I to discover what it actually was.

Because love was too hard to put into words.

"Would you really do anything for her?" I asked.

"Would you do anything for your her?" He questioned.

He was clever.

"I don't know." I answered.

"I do." He replied. "I know, you love her. I know, I love your sister. Your sister is as mature as me. Even more so. But she'll never show it unless it is needed greatly. If she were to ask me to do something, anything, from her heart, I would without a thought. Regardless of what consequences there might be for me. But, if the consequences for her are troubling, I will resist. But I would sacrifice my anything for her."

Kyouhei-nii knew he was putting my feelings into words.

He grinned.

Everything about Kyouhei-nii was charming to girls.

His straight hair, his eyes, his body, his face. The one thing about him that was imperfect was his teeth. His left incisor was slightly crooked. But it made his grin very bad-boy-ish.

I decided to change the topic.

"Where'd Luci-nee go?" I asked Kyouhei-nii. When it came to my sister, Kyouhei-nii didn't know many things. He knew everything.

"She's checking musical instruments today. It's Monday. Don't worry, she'll be back soon." Kyouhei-nii consoled.

Natsuko Luci-Jennifer Sohma and Kyouhei Rene Takano. Luci-nee and Kyouhei-nii. Two of the people I loved most in this world. The two people to who I could tell everything.

"So, don't you need to go and check whatever you need to check?" I asked Kyouhei-nii, though I knew he was staying because of me.

"I will, after she comes back." Kyouhei-nii smirked.

I laughed at that, "I'm not a baby, I don't need taken care of."

"Yeah, well, you're still just a kid. Ikuto." He grinned.

Amu's POV

I didn't understand. James was all that I could have wanted. He was all that I should have needed in my life.

So why did Ikuto still torment my mind?

Still, I decided that I was going to be over Ikuto soon. And James was nice enough. I'd be an idiot if I didn't return his feelings.

I didn't want the oh so popular guy that all the girls keel over. I wanted the nice guy that only loved me.

So I would be stupid not to pursue James' love… right?

Anyway, I'd realised that Airi still wasn't talking to me. In fact she was going out of her way to ignore me.

What exactly had I done?

Nothing. I hadn't done a thing to her, or Taki for that matter.

It was lunch time and I wondered whether or not I would go to the music room.

I decided not to.

James was more important than Ikuto. And Airi when she wasn't going to talk to me.

James came to pick me up at my locker. He was just taller than me. Not by much. But I could still tell it was him when he stood behind me.

I put my things away and looked for my lunch. I realised I hadn't brought it. Oh well.

I turned around, "Did you have something to tell me?"

"Apart from that I love you. No, not really. But I wanted to show you something." James whispered into my ear.

"Okay, let's go." I said.

James took me across the field and to the boys' building.

Aireen; It was just a little short.

Utau: sooo? Why is Amu all obsessed with James.

Aireen: Coz he looks almost exactly like Tadase.

Utau: and this is part of her past mind thing too?

Aireen: Yep, don't worry there will be more AMUTO soon

Utau: review please.


	15. James and Ikuto

Aireen: Okay, so for the record, I went overseas again. And I did write. Just couldn't upload it.

Utau: Sooo, I just wanted to know when Amu and Ikuto are gonna be back here. It's not really my kinda thing, you know.

Aireen: I get it. It's okay. Don't worry, this chapter guarantees some AMUTO and the next chapter will be…

Utau: What?

Aireen: I don't want to spoil it.

Utau: Okay. Still. Aireen doesn't own Shugo Chara.

Ikuto's POV

Luci-nee was sure taking her time checking the instruments. Who could blame her? With an injured body, coming back and forth between the girls' and boys' buildings was a hard thing.

The buildings were ages away. There were three fully sized soccer fields and a cricket field in between the two buildings.

Kyouhei-nii had spotted Luci-nee making her way back to the boys' building.

She had a very obvious limp and I felt really bad, really guilty, because I was the initial cause for her pain.

"You can go and help her get here if you want, I'll be fine." I told Kyouhei-nii.

"If I go, you can come too. Obviously, she's not about to admit it but she won't make it here without help."

"Let's go then."

Kyouhei-nii and I got up. We headed for the stairs. We walked in.

And I froze. Because I saw her. With the loser geek boy. Holding hands.

Kyouhei-nii grabbed my wrist and pulled me down.

I avoided her gaze but she was staring at me.

I hurt. Again. So, so, so much.

How could I ever get over her?

The whole way down, I smelt her scent. Funny, that she would use strawberry scented perfume.

But I wasn't in the mood to laugh over the irony.

Finally we got out.

"Ikuto, are you okay." Kyouhei-nii asked.

"Yep, fine. No problem." I said, trying to smirk.

It didn't work, I realised.

"C'mon, let's go to your sister." Kyouhei-nii realised that he should just leave the whole topic.

We walked towards the girls' building. Luci-nee was coming our way. And she was really in pain. She was slowing her pace when she met with Airi and Taki. She stopped to talk to them.

Kyouhei-nii and I reached her before she kept coming towards the boys' building.

"Oh, I was just coming. Sorry I was a little late." Luci-nee laughed.

Kyouhei-nii rolled his eyes and threw an arm around her shoulder, "Late? Why? Couldn't possibly be because of that terrible limp in your walk, right?"

Luci-nee shrugged. There was no point in her denying it.

Then Kyouhei-nii whispered something in her ear that made her face darken.

Her expression became pissed.

She walked to me, her limp, I realised was much greater than before. But before me, Kyouhei-nii realised.

"We should never have let you even come to school today." He said.

"I'm fine, really." Luci-nee said.

She ran a hand through my hair, "You're really strong, Ikuto. You'll be fine."

I worried for my sister.

Her pain was great enough for even Airi and Taki to see her limp.

"Luci are you okay? You should go back and sit down. I don't think that you should walk." Airi said.

Kyouhei-nii, without another word, took her into his arms.

Luci's POV

Before I knew it, I was in Kyo's arms. He didn't throw me over his shoulder this time.

But he carried me bridal style.

"I can walk!" I protested.

Kyo gave me a look that said, 'don't even think about arguing with me on this.'

Ikuto stayed with Taki and Airi and I hoped he'd be okay. Must've been a shock for him to see Amu with James.

Then I realised that she shouldn't have even been in that building.

Some teacher would definitely catch her.

All other thoughts aside, I stared into Kyo's golden eyes. They weren't the same golden as Amu's. Amu's eyes were more yellow-ish or honey-coloured. Kyo's eyes were like the prized mineral itself. Alluring and seductive and so beautiful.

I'd once read a paper on gold. It is said to bring strength and clarity to one's mind and body. Relieves stress and supports immunity.

Kyo was my relief.

I didn't know what I would do if I didn't have him in my life.

I couldn't even imagine it.

Quicker than I had hoped, Kyo had successfully placed me at the girls' lockers.

What happened at recess brought a smile to my face.

I looked up to see Kyo leaning towards me, his own smile playing on his lips. He knew what I was thinking of.

Then suddenly, I was caught in his gaze. I could feel my cheeks colour. But I couldn't turn away from him.

I'm sure, like each and every teenage girl in love is sure, that my heart skipped a beat.

My words caught in my throat and the moment remained silent.

Kyo's fingers reached up and caressed the side of my face. From my jaw to my cheekbone to my eyes. And I was suddenly enveloped in his embrace.

His arms wrapped protectively around me. My hands grasped onto his back.

And I wished, oh I so badly wished, that this moment could last forever. No worries, just me and Kyo. If only, moments like this could last for eternities.

My eyes slowly shut and I don't know how I fell asleep.

Kyouhei's POV

I was staring into her beautiful green eyes. And I could see the pain, the hurt that she tried so hard to cover up in her act.

Impulsively or by instinct, I haven't an idea of which it was, but I took her into my arms.

I wanted to protect her from everything that could hurt her.

I didn't want there to ever be pain in her eyes. I wanted to keep her happy, keep her smiling, always.

Hidden in her pain is my grief.

Suddenly, I felt Natsu's breathing even out. I felt her heartbeat slow.

Puzzled, I drew back. And as I did, she fell limp into my arms.

At first, I thought she'd collapsed, but I realised that she was merely asleep.

I'd known that her body would give out eventually. She'd done well to survive throughout the day.

I picked her up again. It felt so right to have her there in my arms.

I turned around and took my sleeping Natsu to the girls' building's nurse.

"Oh dear, what happened to her?" Nurse Rouge was genuinely concerned for Natsu. Though Natsu was in and out of the first aid room frequently, she was hardly ever here as a patient.

"She's just exhausted. Would it be alright if she rested here for a while? Her parents are out of town." I asked, not bothering to hide the fondness and gentleness in my tone.

"Of course, you can stay with her if you like until lunch finishes." Nurse Rouge answered.

I took Natsu to one of the beds behind the curtain. It was the one next to the window. Gently I placed her on the bed, not wanting to wake her.

I pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed, gently stroking Natsu's hair.

Ikuto's POV

I watched as Kyouhei-nii took Luci-nee back to her locker.

I glanced down at my watch, time was going slowly. The lunch break was dragging on.

"Hey, Ikuto, um do you want to do a performance this Friday. Because we don't have to if you don't want to, we can just do two next Friday." Airi said.

"I'm not incapable of anything, Airi. Let's do a song. But the lyrics are not on me." I quickly answered.

"But you're going to be singing!" Airi protested.

"Yes, but I can neither write nor type. That's kind of a setback when it comes to this kind of thing." I replied.

"And he was last week. Airi, as much as I love you, you're going to have to take on some responsibilities." Taki explained, a smirk playing on his lips.

"That's right! Besides you haven't been doing lyrics for ages now." I complained.

"So? What's your point? But I can't think up any good lyrics!" Airi whined.

"I'll help you." Taki pointed out.

"Oh fine. Hey, do you guys wanna go see this new movie tonight apparently it's going to be really good." Airi piped up.

"Which one is it?" I asked. I wasn't about to go and watch some mushy romantic French film.

Airi told us and we made plans to go after school. I had doubts that Luci-nee would be too keen on the idea but she and Kyouhei-nii could join us if they really wanted to.

I mean, what was the harm in watching a movie?

Thinking of Luci-nee and Kyouhei-nii, I wondered where they were. I glanced over at the girls' building but they weren't at the lockers.

Maybe they had some checking to do.

Airi and Taki looked at me and asked, "Hey, are you okay? If you're wondering where Luci and Kyouhei are then they're probably fine. Chill."

"I'm not worried." I said though they hadn't said anything about that.

"I never said you were." Taki's eyes held unspoken concern for me that I deemed unnecessary.

"Let's head back, lunch is almost finished." Airi said, and as she did, the first warning bell rang.

Airi and Taki and I said our laters and went our separate ways.

When I got to my locker, Kyouhei-nii showed up.

"Sorry about that, Natsu fell asleep. I took her to the nurse. The bell woke her up and she's going to class." He said, answering my unuttered question.

I smirked, finding it funny that my sister would fall asleep at school. Of course, I was the primary cause for that considering she was probably exhausted because of my impulsive actions last night but I'd rather not dwell on that.

I had a sudden knife in my chest. Not literally but I felt a very sharp pain there. I didn't know why I felt it.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw pink hair. I turned to see the pinkette leaving the building. With tears in her eyes. She was running. And crying.

After her, James Hotori came through the doors that concealed the stairs that headed up to the roof of the building.

I could make out what he and his friends were saying and I didn't like it.

"Whoa, James, you scored yourself such a hot girlfriend. And so easy too. Did you guys do it? Because she just lets you do anything to her yeah?" Raul Dickson said.

"That's right, boys. Watch it and weep. I've got her twisted around my little finger. We haven't done it yet but I'm sure it won't be long before we do. After all, you're right Raul. She just lets me do anything to her. Kissing was the first and I'm sure that we'll get to that stage real soon." James Hotori boasted.

What a twisted son of a b***h!

Anger and fury and rage built up within me to the extent that I could hardly maintain any self control at all.

Kyouhei-nii had also clearly heard what they were saying and he was also giving me a look that said, 'don't do anything.'

I didn't care. How DARE he? How dare he use MY strawberry like that?

James Hotori saw my face. "Oh, you pissed, Sohma? Why? I didn't say anything that might offend you. But what do you care?"

I held back. As much as I could. And looked away from him. The anger and fury threatening to burst out of me like a volcano.

"The thing I do to Amu, your sister's boy toy does the same to her. If you don't care about that, then why do you care about this? Huh? Face it, Amu and your sister are the same. Both sluts." James Hotori smirked.

That was it. I saw Kyouhei-nii's face darken. But he didn't do anything. But I couldn't stop myself.

On an impulse, I stomped over to him and couldn't hold myself back.

I didn't trust myself with words so I just let my fists do the talking for me.

I gave the puny guy one light punch and watched him, still dissatisfied, as he passed out.

Before more students gathered around us, I started to leave.

"You can't do that to James." Pierre Gayle said shakily.

I turned to him and gave him a death glare that would make the devil look like a smiling Barbie doll, "Yeah, I just did, and I'll do the same to you if you say another word about it. And that goes for the rest of your buddies too."

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and I knew I was about to hear a lecture from Kyouhei-nii.

"Ikuto, let's go." Kyouhei-nii guided me through the crowd and back to my locker.

"What? You heard the way he was talking about her!" I quietly protested before he could start.

"I know and I'm not accusing you of doing anything wrong but there is a time and place for everything. I know that I'm not one to talk but for your own good, please try and retain control of your emotions." Kyouhei-nii pleaded. And he didn't do that very often.

"Why? When that bastard was -,"

"Because you have higher standards than him. He's not worth your time. He's not even worth that punch. I'm definitely not blaming you; in fact, you put my feelings into actions. But this wasn't the time and place." I could tell that Kyouhei-nii was trying so hard not to do the same and give Hotori another punch.

"It's already done. I can't change the past."

"I know, just be more cautious next time." Kyouhei-nii half-scolded. He really understood and his words were perfectly rational but I still found it hard to imagine me doing anything else in that position.

Before she came to us, I knew she was coming. All the students shuffled against the walls and let her stomp through the middle clearly.

"Ikuto Sohma!" Her voice was screaming pissed and her face was set in an expression so horrible that even I couldn't look at it.

"Ma'am. What may I do for you today?" I put on my most dashing face and sexy voice.

"Don't play dumb Ikuto! I know what you did to James. How could you? Go to the principal's office now!" Fujiko ordered.

"Yes, of course." I didn't drop the façade.

"I should accompany him to make sure that he actually goes." Kyouhei-nii offered.

Fujiko loved Kyouhei, simply because a) he was hot and charming and b) because he always 'listened' to her orders.

"Yes, okay, just get him there fast!" Her mood lightened but not enough to completely demolish her anger to me.

Kyouhei-nii smiled and led me towards the principal's office. Since the two schools were actually one school, we had one principal.

The principal had her own separate office built just for the administrative staff at the front of the schools.

"Fujiko is really pissed off." I commented.

"Yeah, I can tell. That is why you do these things where nobody can see them."

"I got that."

"I'm sure Headmistress Aubrey has received the call from Fujiko and is itching to see you."

"I got that too. But they can't send me home can they? Because my parents are out of town." I realized.

"She's tricky. She'll think up something. Of course, going home, to you, would be viewed as a good thing and I'm sure she knows that." Kyouhei-nii smirked.

"That's not true; home has been so boring lately." I admitted. "There's nothing to do."

"Yes, I suppose having a whole room filled with musical instruments isn't enough for your Highness's entertainment."

"Well, when you've played each of those instruments, and you have nothing new…," I drifted off already knowing his remark before he said it.

"Then make something new."

Aubrey's office came too soon. Awaiting us there was Assistant Headmaster Channing (the one whom we lovingly called oldie c and who apparently had a crush on the teacher who had just sent me here).

"I hear you've been making trouble Ikuto. Come in, Headmistress Aubrey has been awaiting your arrival." Oldie C said

"I'm sure she has." I retorted.

Kyouhei-nii elbowed me and gave me a look that said, 'behave!'

"Aaah! Mr. Sohma. If I recall correctly, the only other time you were sent here was when you tricked Belinda Hotori into thinking she had done certain things to you. And now you're here because you punched her brother, James." Headmistress Aubrey said suspiciously.

"Yes, and your point is?" I asked her.

"Ikuto, you are a bright student. A bright student who can do many great things. You should definitely NOT involve yourself it petty matters such as fighting. But since your teacher was very angry, it would do you some good to explain why you did it." Principal Aubrey warned.

"He insulted my sister." It was the simple truth. Of course he was also talking about the strawberry. But it wouldn't do me any good to mention that now.

"Insulted? What did he say?" Principal Aubrey asked.

I was getting pissed again. But I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"He called Luci-Jennifer Natsuko Sohma a slut. I was there at the time." Kyouhei-nii carefully said. I think I was the only that noticed how edgy his voice was.

He wanted to punch up Hotori as much as me.

"I see. Well then, you still shouldn't have punched him. But since you are very rarely in these types of matter, I will let you off with suspension for the rest of the day. Which isn't very long, but it's enough punishment." Principal Aubrey decided.

"My parents are out of town." I said, curtly.

Principal Aubrey was quiet for a moment, and then she looked at Kyouhei-nii. "If you, Kyouhei, and Luci could take Ikuto home and stay there with him, it would be very helpful."

Kyouhei-nii nodded and took me outside.

We walked in silence to Luci-nee's classroom.

She was excused from her class and ran out to meet us.

"Okay, so I heard most of it. It's like wildfire, how gossip spreads around this school, I swear." Luci-nee swore.

Kyouhei-nii gave Luci-nee this look that I didn't recognize. As close as they were to me, they still had things that were just between the two of them.

We went out to the carpark, where Kyouhei-nii's car was waiting for us.

We went in and Luci-nee broke the silence, "So, apparently Airi and Taki invited you to the movies after school."

"Yeah, um this evening actually at six." I said.

"Cool, would it be alright if we came along too?" Luci-nee asked, even though she knew she didn't have to.

"You're asking?" I questioned.

"Okay, hey Kyo, do you wanna stop by that new sweets shop on the way home?" Luci-nee smiled.

Kyouhei-nii smirked.

Oh, chocolate.

"Apparently they sell some of the absolute best sweets in all of Paris." Luci-nee stated.

"Oh? And you want chocolate so badly, why?" I asked.

"No reason, but oh – the school's Valentine's Day party is coming up. I have to go shopping for dresses! You guys have to come with. I won't be able to carry all of it." Luci-nee exclaimed.

"Oh? And you expect us to?" Kyouhei-nii finally said.

"Obviously, who else do you expect me ask? Dad's out of town. And as if you guys don't have shopping. This is a formal event; you can't wear like jeans or trackies. I'm buying the two of you, designer suits or tuxedo's, your choice of course." Luci-nee told us.

Luci's POV

I was desperately trying to break the cold ice that was between Ikuto and Kyo. I knew that Ikuto had punched Hotori and he was still pissed about it, but what had that Hotori said that even Kyo was this pissed?

I saw the new confectionary store out the window.

"Here, here! Stop." I commanded Kyo. He stopped the car.

I got out and dragged the two of them out as well.

I'd met the owner before; she was a nice old lady.

"Good Afternoon." I announced as I entered the shop.

"Oh, Luci, hello, you brought your friends along today." Mrs. Rolandi said.

"Oh, this is my brother, Ikuto and this is my best friend, Kyouhei." I said. As much I loved calling him Kyo, I thought that name belonged to only me. So I introduced people to him as Kyouhei.

Kyo knew or guessed this, I wasn't sure, but he was smirking as he shook Mrs Rolandi's hand. Still, the smirk didn't reach his eyes. He didn't have that spark right now.

The place smelled really sweet. Like the lollies, jellies, chocolates, and other confectionary that were on the shelves.

I took one mixed packet and one big chocolate packet.

Even though mother had advised against lollies and such as all parents do, I just loved them and couldn't resist.

Ikuto and Kyo didn't choose anything. I knew that Kyo wasn't very partial to very many sweets but Ikuto usually wouldn't protest to them.

I payed and led them outside. We were all still in our school uniforms. People probably thought we were wagging.

So we went home, changed, and then came back.

"Let's just do all our shopping now." I said. "That way, we won't need to when the shops get really busy."

I'd brought a really big bag with me. Inside was the chocolate packet along with my purse, phone and other items.

"Okay then! Where to first?" I asked two of the people that made up my life.

Neither answered, and I frowned. They were still pissed. BOTH of them.

What the hell did that Hotori say? Now _I _was started to get pissed off. Seriously.

I started walking – more like STOMPING – towards the closest store.

It was an Elizabeth Arden outlet.

They weren't saying anything, even though I spent hours looking at and trying on different shades of eyeshadow, blush, lipstick, etc.

I did a lot of window shopping. But neither of them was saying anything. Not even to complain.

Eventually I had had enough.

I abruptly stopped at a table in the food court and sat down.

They were both clearly surprised. But they sat down anyway.

"Okay, what the hell is wrong with you guys?" I yelled loud enough so only they could hear me.

They both had indifferent expressions on their faces but they couldn't hide their pissy-ness from me.

"Will you guys tell or will I up and leave?" I threatened.

They were both clearly dwelling on the same topic and it pissed me off that they were being like that.

They were both still being sissies, so I decided to go.

I was up and about to go off when a bunch of kids ran into me with toy guns.

It reminded of this time once when we were younger.

_I was helping a five-year-old Ikuto to fill his watergun when a seven-year-old Kyo (Kyo is actually just a year older than Ikuto but Kyo's birthday is in June while Ikuto's is in December and it was then November) came along with his own watergun and held it up towards us. _

"_Hands up." He said, threatening to wet us with it. _

_Ikuto took his own watergun and held it up to Kyo. "No way." _

_I knew where that was going. Ikuto and Kyo were aiming at each other with waterguns and I was there in the middle of the two._

"_You're both going to get sick, you know. Mama said not to play with water in wintertime." I warned them both. _

_The skies were clouded and snow had been a fer-sure thing in the weather forecast. _

"_Oh, get out of the way, Luci-nee, it's not cool to forfeit a watergun battle!" Ikuto protested. _

"_Yeah, Natsu, let us battle!" Kyo demanded. _

_But I didn't budge; I stood between them, my tiny hands on my small hips. _

_I felt something wet fall on my shoulder. _

"_Hey!" I yelled at them. _

_But both their faces were innocent. _

"_It wasn't me, Luci-nee! It was Kyouhei-nii!" Ikuto shouted. _

"_No, what a liar! It was Ikuto, Natsu, don't believe him. Believe me!" Kyo yelled. _

_Even as kids they were cunning. They were born to be smartasses. _

_But I just broke out into laughter. _

_Both of them were shocked. Then they looked up as wet stuff fell on their heads. _

_It was snowing. _

We'd all gotten colds later and been in bed for weeks.

I smiled at the memory. Then I remembered that I was still pissed at the two of them.

I continued to walk away from them.

Kyouhei's POV

I was still raging about James Hotori. It took every ounce of my control and restraint to keep me standing there.

But as much I tried to deny it, I wanted to do exactly what Ikuto did.

I looked up and saw Natsu leaving.

She was annoyed at the two of us.

I stood up motioning for Ikuto to do the same.

"Natsu." I called.

Her feet stopped, an instinct or habit maybe, she turned.

Her sweet lips were set in a frown already. She squinted her light green eyes, turned back, and began walking away again.

I jogged to catch up to her, leaving Ikuto behind.

Ikuto's POV

I let Kyouhei-nii catch up to Luci-nee. He would know better how to tell her.

Then suddenly from somewhere I heard sniffling. Almost like someone was sobbing.

I looked around. The food court was mostly empty, so I could see everyone here clearly.

But no one here was crying, or even upset.

I listened harder. And I followed the sound. It's not something I usually would have done. And I had no idea why I was doing it. But it seemed pretty important to me.

Luci's POV

"Natsu. Wait." I heard Kyo say. No way was I about to forgive him this easily. I sped up.

"_Don't walk away like this, all upset, my love_," Kyo started to sing.

"What?" I turned around.

"_Don't walk away like this, all upset, my love,_

_Now forgive me, oh beloved, forgive me,_

_I know that I've made mistakes, but this heart is yours,_

_Now please don't torment it like this,"_

I ignored him and began walking away again.

"_I wanna, wanna, wanna take you home with me,_

_Right now, Right now,_

_I'm gonna, gonna, gonna take you home with me, _

_Somehow, somehow,_

_I wanna, wanna, wanna take you home with me,_

_Right now, Right now,_

_I'm gonna, gonna, gonna take you home with me, _

_Somehow, somehow,"_

We were out of the shopping mall by then and out onto the street.

"_Stop creating a scene like this, Also have a little shame,_

_Everyone's going to laugh at us, just know,_

_Think of it, there's still time, think of it,"_ I sung answering Kyo.

"_From you-,"_ Kyo began.

"_Don't say a word!"_ I cut him off.

"_From you-,"_

"_Just stay away!"_

"_From you-,"_

"_That's it, now go!"_

"_Hey, from you are all gorgeous nights,_

_The nights are star-filled, the nights dressed like brides_

_Now forgive me,"_ Kyo finished what he began.

"_I wanna, wanna, wanna take you home with me,_

_Right now, Right now,_

_I'm gonna, gonna, gonna take you home with me, _

_Somehow, somehow,_

_I wanna, wanna, wanna take you home with me,_

_Right now, Right now, _

_I'm gonna, gonna, gonna take you home with me, _

_Somehow, somehow,"_ Kyo sang.

"_How can i accept what you say?_

_What's the truth what's a lie, who knows,_

_The moon and stars may be your witness, but,_

_Still this heart doesn't accept,"_ I answered.

"_Your heart-,"_

"_Don't say a word!" _ I smirked. I wasn't facing Kyo, but I think he understood anyway.

"_Your heart-,"_

"_Just stay away!"_

"_Your heart-,"_

"_That's it, now go!"_

"_Oh, your heart trusts me,_

_So why isn't it on your lips?_

_Wherever you are, I'm there,_

_Oh my life," _

"_I wanna, wanna, wanna take you home with me,_

_Right now, Right now,_

_I'm gonna, gonna, gonna take you home with me, _

_Somehow, somehow,_

_I wanna, wanna, wanna take you home with me,_

_Right now, Right now,_

_I'm gonna, gonna, gonna take you home with me, _

_Somehow, somehow,"_

As soon as Kyo finished the song, I burst out laughing. Kyo pulled me into his arms.

"I'm really very sorry. Please forgive me." He brought my hand to his lips and brushed over them very gently in the way I loved.

"Don't think you're forgiven yet. Tell me what happened." I ordered. But my mood had lightened.

And so, I thought, had Kyo's.

"Okay, let's walk back to the car."

Amu's POV

I was sitting in an alley. School was over. As soon as the bell went for end of the day I rushed out and ran there.

I sent a text to my parents saying that I wouldn't be at home for a while.

I could never cry at home. In fact, I didn't want to cry at all. But after what happened at the roof today, I just…

I honestly believed in James. I honestly thought that he was worth being shunned by Airi and Taki and Ikuto.

Ikuto. My heart ached. I had thought I was over him. But…

Even if I regretted things now. I'd made a mess. I couldn't possibly stand facing him. Not after what I let James do. I'd let him touch me. Rip my shirt. Ugh!

How could I?

I looked over to my right shoulder and lifted my jumper. The shirt was torn and my skin was an angry red where James had grabbed too hard.

I tried to be quiet with my sobs. But it was hard. And trying to be silent just made me want to cry more.

James had just wanted me to show off in front of his friends. He hadn't really loved me.

And thinking those thoughts, I cried more and more.

Ikuto's POV

I had circled the block twice and I still couldn't find the source of the sobs.

It was stupid. I had no clue why I was searching for a crying person.

But my mind was set on it and it just ignored the sanity in me.

I stopped walking for a second and closed my eyes. I took deep breaths and thought about what I was searching for carefully.

I still didn't know why I was so determined. But I just went along with it.

Then suddenly something inside me clicked. Like an instinct. I had no idea where I was going.

My body was running of its own accord.

Eventually I came to a stop near the back of the mall. The sobs were louder hear.

I followed the sound and came to a dead end. Or what seemed like a dead end.

I'd been to this place a billion times. There was an alleyway hidden behind the tall trucks. It was hard to notice but if you looked under the trucks, you could see it.

There was no way to get there unless the trucks weren't there or unless you crawled under the trucks or…

…jumped over them. I had always been a great climber. I had been the quickest climber at any rock climbing I did. I had never –

Then I realised that my fingers were hurt. Aw dammit! How was I supposed grip onto the trucks when I could even hold onto a pencil properly?

So I resorted to crawling under the trucks. I felt like an idiot, to be completely honest. But I didn't stop.

The sound of the sobbing was becoming very clear now. And I could make out the voice.

She hadn't noticed I was there, it was very dark because of the shadows from the trucks and I was quiet.

She was crying. Tears were pouring out of her eyes and she was sobbing quietly.

Each tear that I saw falling from her eyes were like stabs in my heart.

I went to her slowly. She still didn't notice.

Only when I put my hands on her face to wipe away her tears did she notice that I was there.

Her sad honey-coloured eyes gazed into my own. I brushed my thumbs across her cheeks to wipe away her tears.

She was surprised but distraught. She didn't jump; she didn't protest to my closeness, she didn't say a word. She just stared into my eyes.

And in that moment I felt a fire spark inside my heart. I felt the flame. The fire of… love.

I stroked her face to see if I was allowed. She didn't do anything. She just closed her eyes.

I brought my face to her ear and whispered, "Tell me."

She stayed quiet for a long time. Then she tugged my shirt and pulled me closer to her. She buried her face in my chest and started crying muffled sobs.

I embraced her tightly, wanting to protect her from all that was hurting her.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. Her voice was soft and muffled against my shirt but I could hear her. "I'm so sorry," she said again. "Forgive me, Ikuto," Her voice shook.

I was surprised, why was she apologizing?

"You're forgiven, Amu." I said quietly. Suddenly hear breathing evened out.

I felt her fall against my body. I sat down next to her and let her rest her head on my shoulder.

"Mine, you're only mine," I said.

I couldn't climb out at all. I couldn't jump over the tall AZ trucks and I couldn't crawl back under without hurting the pinkette.

I didn't have much of a choice.

I got out my phone and sent a text.

Aireen: See, AMUTO! YAY!

Utau: so next chapter?

Aireen: You'll find out soon. Review please.


	16. Valentine's Special

Aireen: This is going to be a short chapter.

Utau: Why?

Aireen: It's, I guess a Valentine's special.

Utau: It's early.

Aireen: I know.

Utau: So?

Aireen: Well, I thought I'd need to update, for Amu and Ikuto (especially Ikuto's)'s sake.

Utau: Well good.

Aireen: I hope everyone enjoys the chapter. Even if it is a bit short. Haha.

Utau: Aireen doesn't own Shugo Chara.

Luci's POV

I got a message on my phone on the way to the car.

"Who's it from?" Kyo asked.

I checked my phone:

Luci-nee; go home with Kyouhei-nii, I'll come back later. I'm just going to stay out for a bit. Ikuto.

Kyo was reading it over my shoulder.

"Maybe I-," I started.

"Ikuto's not a child; he can take care of himself. And if he wants time alone, then I guess that's his right." Kyo looked at me reassuringly.

"Okay." I accepted that. "Let's go home."

Kyo led me to the car.

Ikuto's POV

The pinkette hadn't woken up yet and it was almost sunset. More and more trucks were closing in on the only exit.

It was going to be difficult to get out of the alley. I turned my head towards Amu. She had the most peaceful expression on her face as she slept.

I reached over and stroked her hair. It was so, so, soft. Then suddenly she shifted. I froze. I thought she'd woken up.

But then she just snuggled to my side, curled up her legs and put her arms around my arm. I smiled and continued to stroke her hair.

I wished, oh how I wished, I wished that this moment, if only it could last forever. And I wouldn't ever have to face getting out of here or anything. Just me and my Amu.

I smirked and looked away from her, as if that would ever happen.

Amu's ear was pressed against my shoulder; I thought about our little incident in the music room. Moments like those and these were precious. They were the kind of moments you had to savour, just in case you didn't experience them again.

So I closed my eyes and rested my head on hers, but tried to stay awake to savour the moment, just in case more never came.

But just as I thought that troubles could go to hell right then, Amu moved. I brought my head upright and turned to look at her. Her face was a mask of frustration.

She was having a nightmare. She hugged herself tightly and her hand wondered up to her shoulder. My eyes followed. Her hand snuck under her jumper and for a moment, I thought I saw a mark.

When she moved again, the area was revealed and I saw. Saw the torn shirt and the red mark of someone's fingers.

My body went rigid. Fury coursed through me and anger bubbled in me like a volcano about to erupt. HOW COULD HE? I brought my hands to my sides and clenched my fists.

Looking at my strawberry, I made a vow, a promise; I swore that I would make James Hotori pay.

But for the moment, I wanted Amu to be alright. I cupped the edge of her face with my hand, brought my face close to her head and whispered her name.

"I'm sorry." I looked at Amu's face. "I'm sorry." She was apologizing. Her expression was pained.

I couldn't take it anymore; I took Amu in my embrace and said, "Its fine. It really is fine. Don't stress."

She clutched onto my t-shirt, buried her head into my chest and then relaxed.

I couldn't smile. The fury in me refrained me. The anger hadn't subsided. And I knew it wouldn't. At the very least, not until I beat the crap out of James Hotori.

And I didn't know rage could make me so tired. But it did.

AMU + IKUTO

_Rain was pouring over them, but they wouldn't move. They were staring at each other. Gazing at each other's beauty. Astounding. Wonderful. She looked away first, blushing. He moved closer until their faces were less than an inch apart. He placed his hand on her warm cheek and turned her face to his. His lips carefully brushed over her eyes, closing them. They further travelled down to her nose and from there, glided to her left cheek, never once breaking contact. Then he moved to her wet lips and his heart's thirst became unbearable. He enveloped her in a passionate kiss. His arms around her slender waist and her hands buried in his hair. _

Those Wet lips of yours, This Thirsty heart of mine,

Like a rain cloud seems your body to me,

It rains down on me, the rain clouds,

You are my love, you are my life,

Sometime with me, spend a night,

Until the dawn, I will love you,

Whoa oh, oh, Whoa oh, oh,

Whoa oh oh~ Whoa oh oh~

_The kiss broke only when they could be without oxygen no longer. They held each other in such a powerful embrace that neither could feel a part of their body was apart from the other. Suddenly she blushed and pulled away. She looked up to his fathomless midnight blue eyes, only to blush more deeply- if that was even possible at that point - and turn away. _

Your breaths are flames; your body is fire,

They snatch my sleep, they steal my peace,

It performs black magic, your long hair,

You eyes are lakes, your pupils are angry,

Sometime with me, spend a night,

Until the dawn, I will love you,

Whoa oh, oh, Whoa, oh, oh,

Whoa oh oh~, yeah, Whoa oh oh~

_He caught her arm, stopping her and moved closer. Her back was to his muscular abs and her head was against his chest. He held her arms out, spread eagle and slowly brought them around her. Both his and her arms were around her body and his head bent down and kissed her bare shoulder. His face and lips travelled to her neck and she gasped. Her breaths came ragged and uneven as his lips moved up to her ear and then her cheek. _

Whoa oh, oh, Whoa oh, oh, Whoa oh, oh~ yeah,

Whoa oh oh~

_When his lips had reached the corner of her mouth, she couldn't stand it anymore and she turned around and pressed herself against his bare chest. She threw her arms around him, never wanting to let go. _

My eyes are saying what i can't say,

Listen to it, what my lips aren't saying,

You don't sleep tonight, I don't sleep tonight,

I'll look at you today, I'll get lost in you today,

Sometime with me, spend a night,

Until the dawn, I will love you,

Whoa oh, oh, Whoa oh, oh,

Whoa oh oh~ Whoa oh, oh,

_His eyes lit up at the pleasant surprise and he let her small body melt into him. His arms went around her naturally, as if an instinct or a habit. He stroked her back, resting his hands at the line of her shoulder-less top. He arched his back and let his head lay against hers. He took in the scent of her shampoo, and chuckled at the irony. Strawberries. _

Those Wet lips of yours, this thirsty heart of mine,

Like a rain cloud seems your body to me,

_Her arms suddenly flew to his neck and she tip-toed as high as she could, easily reaching his already bent down head. She kissed him without warning. His eyes widened but then closed, enjoying their passionate kiss. _

_It seemed like an eternity before they pulled away, gasping for air. But the two stayed, basking in the warmth of their embrace. And he wished, oh how he wished, that that moment could last forever. And she? She wished for him in her life, that one, and if they existed, all the others to come. _

"_I love you," He breathed into her hair. _

"_I love you," She whispered to his chest. _

_Simultaneously. _

_There was a sudden heat between them. As if one of them had caught on fire. But since rain was, and had been pouring on them for who knew how long, it was unlikely. They reluctantly pulled away from each other to see a light in between them. Like someone had lit a match, or a candle, and was standing between them. _

_But they were alone save the light floating between them. From the light, appeared two round-shaped… eggs?_

_He blinked. Was he really seeing two eggs floating in light in the middle of the air? His attention went to one of the eggs immediately, the black and white one. It was black, with a thick, white zig-zag line, and in the line was black kitty heads. _

_She widened her eyes. She wasn't seeing this… right? Two eggs coming from the light that was floating in the air? Her gaze set on the pink and white one. It had pink hearts on it. She looked at it questioningly. _

_Suddenly, the eggs cracked and broke open, revealing two characters. A miniature boy with cat ears and tail. And a tiny girl with a love-heart clip on her bright pink hair. _

"_Guess you're already free-nya. At least now that you've told her how you feel-nya. I'm gonna miss you, Ikuto-nya." The little boy with cat ears and a tail sniffed. _

"_And you finally found yourself, Amu-chan! Good job! I'll always be cheering for you! The others will too!" The girl with the love heart shaped clip shouted. _

_The two little Shugo Chara's went to their respectful owners and buried themselves in their hands._

_Amu and Ikuto were surprised but held the little things, smiling without knowing why. _

AMU+IKUTO

I blinked and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hands. I wasn't wet. I looked up. It wasn't raining. I opened my clenched fist. There wasn't any miniature boy with cat-ears, paws, and a tail.

In his place was a key. A very strange looking key. A very old fashioned one.

Amu wasn't cuddled up against my side. In a moment of panic, I looked around desperately to find her.

I relaxed when I saw her next to me, further than before, we weren't touching. She had regained consciousness and was staring at the little object that was in her hands.

I looked closer to realise that it was a lock. Its design was similar to his key.

I looked back at the key and wondered whether or not it unlocked that lock.

I reached over to Amu, and suddenly the full memory of the dream came back to me. Did I really just… dream about Amu and I being all lustful with each other?

Even if I did, why did I have the key in the first place? And for that matter, why did she have a lock in the place of that little pink thing?

Was she actually in the dream? Did we both share that dream? No, did she really feel that way for me?

What a question! I always knew that she felt _something _for me. A closeness. A recognition. A comfort. There was always _something_ between us. But…

I decided to put more questions in that direction on hold. When I reached out to her, softly calling her name, she blushed ten shades of red and looked away.

Obviously we had the same dream. And if I was doing all those things wilfully, it must've meant that she had been as well.

I smirked. I reached out, placed a finger under her chin and turned her head to me.

She didn't protest, but I could see the blush redden. Her honey-coloured eyes met mine.

I smiled seductively, teasing her. But then, curiosity hit me.

I moved my hand to hers and brought it up, with the lock.

I brought my other hand, containing the key, closer to the lock. I just wanted to see. See whether or not it would open.

Along with the key, I brought my face closer to hers, loving the way she wanted to move, but she wouldn't.

Luci's POV

It had been a few hours since Kyo and I had reached home, and I was starting to get worried about Ikuto.

Even thought Kyo had reassured me at first, he'd left to get something from his house that he'd forgotten.

Even he'd been away for an hour.

Worry was eating me inside. I kept looking from the big clock in the kitchen, to my phone, to the door, and back to the television. I wasn't even paying attention to what it was showing.

Not that I didn't try, when I tried to focus on the bogus drama that was showing on the TV, I would just become more reminded about the two boys.

Twenty minutes later, I'd started fidgeting about with pens and papers that were laying on the coffee table in our living room.

I hadn't left my ritual gazes at the clock, my phone and the door so when the doorbell went off, I practically flew to the door and opened it.

I threw my arms around… Kyo, not Ikuto.

I dragged him in and asked, "Why were you gone for so long?"

He snuck an arm around my waist, "Did you miss me?" He asked seductively.

I felt irritated, "No, I just happened to be anxious about nothing in particular when you walked through the door!" I laced my tone with sarcasm.

His expression humbled, "Well then, I'm sorry for leaving you, I just had to get something."

His other hand came up to my line of sight. It held a box. No, not a ring box. A bigger box. I assumed it had some sort of jewellery in it. It looked like it was kind of box that held expensive necklaces in it.

I waited patiently as he opened it, revealing a fold piece of cloth. A golden coloured piece of cloth.

I was surprised to see a piece of cloth in a jewellery box, but I waited some more.

Kyo chucked the box away, unfolding the cloth… which turned out to be a dress!

A very beautiful and expensive dress I'd been planning on buying to wear to the Valentine's Day party.

My eyes lit up.

Kyouhei's POV

Her eyes lit up and a beautiful smile graced her face as she excitedly through her arms around my neck, jumping onto me and twisting her legs around my hips.

I turned my head up to meet her lips in her passionate kiss.

Her arms were around my head and her hands in my hair.

As the kiss ended, she brought her head down to my ear and whispered, "Thanks."

I smiled and didn't let my guilt touch my features.

I'd told her I'd gone to buy the dress, but no, I'd gone to get to that guy.

When he'd insulted her at school, I was helpless in the many boundaries that limited me.

But after school, I had the chance. I sought him out and beat him up. And threatened him a countless number of times.

Then I went home to pick up the dress that I'd bought earlier, a few weeks ago when she was staring at it with desire burning in her eyes.

The dress itself was floor length, and I hadn't seen her wear it, but I knew it wouldn't completely hug her body, but it would look gorgeous on her nonetheless.

I dragged myself back to the present and looked my girl in the eye.

"Think of it as an early Valentine's gift." I breathed.

She kissed my cheek and brushed her lips to mine when she stopped, "Can I go try it on now?" She asked playfully.

"No, no, not now, only on the day. But you'll look gorgeous anyways. I can assure it." I replied.

"How do you know, I haven't even tried it on yet?" It was a pointless question, we both knew it.

And we both knew each other well enough to know what we both liked, disliked, what looked good, bad and alright on each other.

Not that anything she wore made her look bad. At her worst she looked breathtaking. And to describe her best would be to write a whole book full of senseless words.

I tightened my grip on her waist and walked up the stairs to her room.

Aireen: Hey guys! Now listen, or read, whatever, this story is rated T, if any of you think that the rating needs to go higher, please let me know. I think it's maybe alright, but if any of you readers think that it should be M then please let me know.

Utau: So you left everyone at a cliff-hanger with Amu and Ikuto.

Aireen: So what do you guys think? Will it work? What's going to happen if it does?

Utau: Review please, Aireen would love to hear feedback from everyone.

Aireen: Oh yeah, I know that I should've been doing this from the start but since I didn't, I'll do it now:

THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO REVIEWED!

Aireen: And Kutau will be back in the next chapter!


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